Nottingham Forest fans will love what Ruben Amorim has said about Ousmane Diomande
Nottingham Forest have set their sights on Sporting CP sensation Ousmane Diomande this transfer window in hopes of boosting their numbers at the back.
Reports suggest that the Tricky Trees would have to pay £42.4million for the 22-year-old centre-back this summer.
Diomande has emerged as one of the most promising defenders in Portugal in recent years and has won two top division titles.
Previously, he worked under former Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim at Sporting, where the coach helped develop him into a top player.
The 41-year-old has previously been full of praise for the defender, and had insisted he is “very talented”.
Now, he could soon be on his way to Nottingham Forest, with the club currently light on central defenders.
Ruben Amorim: Ousmane Diomande is very physically strong
Diomande has played a big part in a golden era at Sporting CP.
The club has been the dominant side in Portugal in recent years, and reached the Champions League quarter-finals last season before they were narrowly knocked out by Arsenal.
Now, Record Portugal has credited Nottingham Forest as one of the interested parties in Diomande, as multiple clubs look to win the race to his signature.
If Forest were to secure the signing, they could be in line for a bargain, especially when looking back at Amorim’s quotes.
Back on 14 September 2023, the manager told the Daily Mail: “Diomande plays with both feet, and is very physically strong.
“He is a very talented player and most people don’t know how many clubs were after him. The truth is that we managed to get him because we took a risk by telling the kids that they’re coming to play for the first team, he’s got a lot of scope for progression.”
These are the type of quotes Forest fans will love, especially as it indicates that he may only get better as the weeks go on.
Who else are Forest looking to sign this summer?
Football Insider has exclusively revealed that Nottingham Forest are still interested in Celtic’s Arne Engels this summer.
The 22-year-old has attracted interest from across Europe thanks to his performances over the last couple of seasons, and could now be tempted to push for a move away.
Last season, Engels helped Celtic win both the Scottish Premiership title and the Scottish Cup.
Forest saw a £25m bid turned down for the midfielder in the winter window, and could now be tempted to make another move.
However, they will have to compete with Fulham, Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur, who are all also credited with interest this summer transfer window.