Nottingham Forest’s proposed move for Ousmane Diomande this summer is now firmly back on the table.
Fabrizio Romano reports on X (formerly Twitter) that the Tricky Trees are “moving to final stages” in talks with Sporting Lisbon over a €40m [£34.2m] deal.
It had been suggested that Liverpool stood to benefit from the original collapse in talks between the two clubs.
Ousmane Diomande may now be off the table for Liverpool
Being available for less than £35m, we were somewhat surprised to learn that Forest seemed to be pulling away from talks to land Diomande.
🚨🌳 EXCL: Ousmane Diomande’s move to Nottingham Forest is back on and now well underway, agreement close.#NFFC moving to final stages of €40m deal with Sporting after issues in talks over recent weeks.
All parties confident, final steps still needed. pic.twitter.com/vqZhTy9fzP
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 8, 2026
However, now it would seem that Liverpool were well-advised to reignite their reported former interest in Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo at a time when their backline is facing many trials and tribulations.
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It’s a shame, of course, given the potential on offer with the 22-year-old Ivorian – and at a totally reasonable asking price.
But with the Bradley Barcola deal still yet to reach the final stages, as PSG push to receive a mammoth offer for the France international, it seems we’re having to get creative in the market to protect our fragile kitty.
Ronald Araujo’s impending arrival also changes matters
Look, we’re not totally satisfied with the manner in which Liverpool have handled this summer transfer window. Leaving it this late to secure appropriate reinforcements when it was clear to everyone that a new right-back and centre-back were desperately needed? Come on, Liverpool.
That said, if you’re looking to bring in a short-term fix to plug both holes, you probably can’t do much better than Ronald Araujo on a season-long loan with no obligation to buy.
And if we’re being totally honest, as cheap as Ousmane Diomande is, it’s not like we didn’t have our concerns about the Primeira Liga defender.
| Ousmane Diomande stats per 90 | Ronald Araujo stats per 90 |
| 68.77 successful passes | 65.4 successful passes |
| 93.1% successful pass percentage | 92% successful pass percentage |
| 0.21 chances created | 0.08 big chances created |
| 48.6% duels win percentage | 63% duels win percentage |
| 57.4% aerial duels win percentage | 67.2% aerial duels win percentage |
| 0.35 dribbled past | 0.08 dribbled past |
* Ousmane Diomande and Ronald Araujo’s stats in the 2025/26 season in Primeira Liga and La Liga (Fotmob)
And as we can clearly see from the stats provided, Araujo looks a far more competent centre-back – most notably when it comes to duels and aerial threat. Coming from a superior league too in the Spanish top-flight, we just have a bit more faith that this is a solution Andoni Iraola can actually rely on from the get-go.
Plus, he’s more or less for free (ignoring the Uruguayan’s wages).
We should buy both
FSG will now feel the defence solved A player who can play central defence and right back.
Let’s hope that Ronald araujo has his head sorted and that he can stay fit. It doesn’t fill me with any confidence when you look through his time at Barcelona and the amount of games he’s missed and the big mistakes he’s made in big games.
He also has a weakness at passing the ball out of defence and giving the ball away under pressure.
Why didn’t any other clubs want him?
If he can’t stay fit it solves nothing.