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The summer transfer window is always full of twists and turns. Deals are not done until the signature is signed on the dotted line – today, we’ll be looking at one such case.

Previously, Ousmane Diomande looked set to join Nottingham Forest, according to a report from BBC Sport back in July. Now, however, things have seemingly fallen apart.

The Nottingham Post reports that transfer negotiations between Forest and Sporting CP, Diomande’s current club, have ‘collapsed’, effectively rendering the move dead in the water.

As such, this opens the door for some of his other potential suitors to make a move. Currently, it seems as though Liverpool have reacted the fastest, as Andoni Iraola’s men could now swoop in.

A post on X (formerly Twitter) from journalist Sebastien Vidal implies that Liverpool could look to ‘benefit’ from the breakdown in talks between Forest and Diomande’s representatives.

As of yet, Liverpool have not made a move for the player, but these things can move very quickly in football – especially so in the modern era.

Of course, the Reds aren’t the only club interested, either. TransferFeed notes that teams such as Arsenal, Newcastle United, Bournemouth, Chelsea, Leeds United, Crystal Palace and bitter rivals Manchester United could also be in the mix.

That’s not all, either – several top teams from outside the Premier League have also been linked. These include PSG, AC Milan and Bayern Munich, to name a few.

As such, competition for Diomande’s signature may become fierce in the coming weeks. If Liverpool want to push a deal through, they might need to do so at speed.

Ousmane Diomande 2025/26 Liga Portugal stats


 Games Goals Assists
Diomande 17 0 1

Ousmane Diomande 2026 World Cup stats


 Games Goals Assists
Diomande 1 0 0

What would Diomande bring to Liverpool?

Diomande is a centre-back who is tailor-made for the modern era. He’s very tall and aerially dominant at 6ft 3, whilst also possessing fantastic technical ability.

He is very comfortable on the ball, being adept with both feet and having the vision to pick out accurate long passes from deep positions.

If we had to pick out some weaknesses in his game, we’d point towards his timing and his tackling. He can be errant in ground duels, leading him to give away needless fouls at times.

Still, at just 22 years of age, he has plenty of time to develop. He already boasts an enviable trophy cabinet, having won two Liga Portugal titles with Sporting CP and the Africa Cup of Nations with the Ivory Coast in 2023.

Furthermore, right now, Liverpool are in desperate need of a new centre-back. They only have three senior centre-halves on their books – Virgil van Dijk, Jeremy Jacquet and Joe Gomez. Additionally, the latter of the three is currently injured and will miss the start of the Premier League season [via Sky Sports].

Bringing Diomande to the club wouldn’t just plug the gaps on a short-term basis, it would also provide them with a promising young player who they could potentially build their backline around in the future.

This article first appeared on Essential Football and was syndicated with permission.

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