Liverpool Eye Ousmane Diomande as Nottingham Forest's Deal Stalls

Nottingham Forest thought they were closing in. Sporting Lisbon thought they had their price. Ousmane Diomande, one of the most coveted young centre-backs in Europe, looked set to be on his way to the City Ground.

Then the deal hit the wall.

Over the past week, the pursuit of the 22-year-old Ivorian has swung from “practically finalised” to “in serious doubt”, and that uncertainty has opened the door for a heavyweight lurking in the background: Liverpool.

Forest’s statement move turns messy

Forest had earmarked Diomande as a flagship signing for this window, a statement that they could still compete for players previously linked with Europe’s elite. At the end of July, BBC Sport reported that the club were “close to completing” a deal with Sporting, a breakthrough that seemed to justify weeks of groundwork.

Portuguese outlet A Bola went further on Wednesday, claiming negotiations were advanced and the transfer was “practically finalised”. The fee was clear enough: Sporting wanted a fixed €40m, with bonuses potentially taking the package to €45m, plus a percentage of any future capital gain. According to the same outlet, Forest accepted those numbers.

Then came the snag that so often wrecks modern transfers: the payment structure.

A later report revealed that disagreements over how and when the money would be paid caused talks to stall. On Thursday, claims surfaced that the deal had collapsed altogether. By Friday, even A Bola, initially bullish, acknowledged serious issues between Forest and Sporting over Diomande’s move.

Sporting, for their part, are holding the line. The valuation remains, the conditions remain, and while there is still a path to agreement, the optimism around Forest’s pursuit has faded.

Liverpool watching, waiting… and now circling?

Liverpool have not made a major defensive signing this summer. Their incoming business so far has been limited to Jeremy Jacquet and Victor Munoz, while much of the noise around Anfield has centred on attacking targets, notably PSG pair Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye.

Yet the squad tells its own story. Centre-back options are thin, injuries have bitten, and full-back depth looks fragile. For a club with Liverpool’s ambitions, that is a risk.

This is where Diomande re-enters the frame.

Reporter Sebastien Vidal suggested on X that Liverpool could “benefit from the failure of negotiations between Nottingham Forest and Sporting for Ousmane Diomande,” stressing that the defender, valued at around €40m, “remains available” and has “long been on the Reds’ radar” as they assess ways to strengthen their central defence.

It is not a declaration of a bid. It is not confirmation of formal talks. But it is a reminder that when a deal of this size wobbles, the landscape can change quickly, especially with a club of Liverpool’s stature hovering nearby.

A race that could turn in an instant

For Forest, the equation is brutal. They have done much of the heavy lifting on Diomande, pushed close to Sporting’s demands and positioned themselves for a signing that would reshape their back line. Yet the longer the payment dispute drags on, the more vulnerable they become to a late hijack.

Liverpool, by contrast, can afford to be patient. They know the player, they know the price, and they know Sporting’s stance. If they decide that defensive reinforcements can no longer wait, the groundwork laid by Forest could make Diomande the quickest solution.

One club trying to close a deal. Another club weighing up whether to strike.

The next move belongs to Liverpool’s hierarchy – and to Forest’s resolve.