Nottingham Forest have strengthened their defence with the signing of Ousmane Diomande (£5.5m) from Sporting CP.

Forest have paid around £34.3m (€40m) for the 22-year-old Ivory Coast international. It’s the first major transfer made by Oliver Glasner, who coveted the centre-back while boss at Crystal Palace.

Despite his age, Diomande already boasts plenty of experience. He made 132 appearances for Sporting, won back-to-back Portuguese league titles, and was part of the Ivory Coast squad that lifted the Africa Cup of Nations.

But what does his arrival mean for Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers? We take a look in this article.

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WHERE DOES DIOMANDE FIT AT FOREST?

Diomande looks well suited to Oliver Glasner’s system.

Glasner has predominantly used a back three during pre-season, a shape Diomande knows well from his time at Sporting CP. He primarily operated as the right-sided centre-back there, although he featured on the left for Ivory Coast at this summer’s World Cup.

Murillo (£5.5m), Nikola Milenkovic (£5.5m), Morato (£5.0m) and Jair Cunha (£4.5m) provide competition, but the latter’s position currently appears the most vulnerable. The 21-year-old has featured on the right during pre-season but remains relatively inexperienced.

Nothing guarantees an immediate starting berth, but the investment and Glasner’s long-standing interest strongly suggest Diomande has arrived to play regularly.

CLEAN-SHEET POTENTIAL

Forest kept nine clean sheets last season, a respectable return considering they were balancing Premier League duties with European football and domestic cup competitions.

The underlying numbers are less convincing, however.

Forest ranked around mid-table for goals conceded but finished among the bottom four for expected goals conceded (xGC). They were also among the worst seven sides for both shots in the box and big chances conceded.

There is some cause for optimism under Glasner.

His Crystal Palace side recorded the third-most clean sheets in the Premier League last season despite also juggling European commitments. Their wider defensive data generally sat around mid-table.

So, while Forest’s underlying numbers need improvement, Glasner’s arrival could potentially increase their clean-sheet prospects – and, in turn, Diomande’s FPL appeal.

STARTING FIXTURES

Forest rank fifth on our Fixture Ticker for defensive difficulty across the opening eight Gameweeks. Meetings with Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa could prove tricky, but there are clashes with two of the newly promoted sides in that time.

Our ‘other’ ticker, of the brand new variety, helpfully breaks down the early clean sheet odds – though of course, said percentages can and will change the closer we get to each fixture date. There are four fixtures in Gameweeks 1-8 with a 30%+ chance of a shut-out, with the Coventry and Ipswich games unsurprisingly offering the highest odds.

DEFCON POTENTIAL

Diomande’s numbers at Sporting don’t immediately scream DefCon potential.

Defenders need to reach 10 combined clearances, blocks, interceptions and tackles (CBITs) in a match to collect the additional two points.

However, Diomande only averaged 6.2 qualifying actions per 90 minutes in the Portuguese league last season.

Of course, Sporting are one of Portugal’s dominant sides, so Diomande wasn’t necessarily required to defend as frequently as he might be in the Premier League.

However, even against higher-class opposition in the Champions League, he barely mustered 7.5 DefCons per 90.

Glasner’s record offers some encouragement, at least. Two Crystal Palace defenders ranked among the top 12 for both total DefCons and DefCon success rate last season:

DOES HE OFFER ATTACKING THREAT?

Diomande has shown some attacking potential during his career, scoring seven goals in 132 appearances for Sporting.

As the below 2025/25 shotmap from Fotmob shows, he’s adept at getting onto the end of set-piece deliveries just outside the six-yard box. His xG per attempt was thus quite high in 2025/26.

Forest’s centre-halves offered relatively little attacking threat last season but there could be more encouragement from Glasner’s previous work at Crystal Palace.

While Forest were a rock-bottom 20th set-piece xG in 2025/26, Glasner’s Eagles were up in fourth:

BETTER FOREST OPTIONS?

Even if Diomande nails down a starting spot, competition from his own teammates could ultimately limit his FPL appeal.

Ola Aina (£4.5m) immediately catches the eye at a cheaper price, particularly having been deployed at wing-back under Glasner. Then there’s Neco Williams (£5.0m). He was among the more attack-minded defenders for goal attempts last season and has again been operating in a very advanced wing-back role during pre-season.

There are also Forest’s other centre-backs to consider. Murillo, for instance, offers a more proven route to DefCon points at the same £5.5m price.

THE VERDICT

There is plenty to be excited about concerning Diomande’s move, but he probably starts the season as one to watch rather than an obvious pick.

Forest having no European football should help. Glasner’s defensive record at Crystal Palace suggests there is room for improvement on the clean sheet front, too. The new head coach could also boost Diomande’s attacking prospects, given the set-piece xG figures discussed above.

However, his Sporting numbers suggest limited DefCon potential, and he may not offer sufficient attacking threat – certainly not compared to Williams, or maybe even Milenkovic – to compensate for that. For £5.5m, we need a bit more.

For now, there look to be more appealing ways into the Forest backline.