Nottingham Forest secure signing of Ivory Coast defender Ousmane Diomande

Nottingham Forest have secured the signing of Ivory Coast defender Ousmane Diomande from Sporting CP.

The 22-year-old moved to Lisbon in January 2023 and was a key member of their team that went on to win the domestic double in the 2024-25 season and reached the quarterfinal of the Champions League last season.

In total he played 132 times in all competitions for Sporting, winning two league titles and the Taça de Portugal.

Diomande also starred with the Ivory Coast, winning the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations alongside new club teammate Ibrahim Sangaré.

Upon joining his new club, he said: "I am very happy to be here.

"It is a historic club, and it motivates me to join such a club. I believe we can achieve very good things this season and I am looking forward to meeting the players and head coach.

"I will give my best and all I can to help the team. I cannot wait to meet the supporters at the City Ground and together we can have a good season."

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Diomande is the third signing of the summer for Forest, after Portuguese midfielder Gustavo Sá and Austrian midfielder Xaver Schlager, who joined on a free transfer from RB Leipzig.

Despite sharing a surname and representing the same nation, he is not related to Real Madrid's new signing Yan Diomande, who recently joined Los Blancos from RB Leipzig.