Nottingham Forest Pursue Ousmane Diomande: Liverpool's Shift to Araujo
Nottingham Forest have pushed their move for Ousmane Diomande back to the front of the queue – and this time, it looks serious.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Forest are “moving to final stages” in negotiations with Sporting Lisbon over a €40m (£34.2m) deal for the 22-year-old centre-back, with all parties confident an agreement will be struck after weeks of stalling. The transfer, which had seemed to drift towards collapse, is suddenly alive again and gathering pace.
For Liverpool, that changes the picture.
Diomande back on track – but not to Anfield
When Forest first appeared to cool their interest, the situation briefly opened a window for opportunists. A highly rated, 22-year-old international defender from Sporting, available for under £35m, is the sort of profile that normally has Europe’s elite circling.
There were suggestions Liverpool might benefit from the breakdown in talks, especially with their defence creaking and recruitment dragging. Instead, Forest have returned to the table and are now closing in on a fee that looks more like a calculated gamble than an extravagant punt in the current market.
For Liverpool, any faint hope of Diomande becoming a late-window bargain has evaporated. The club now face the reality of needing to look elsewhere at a time when their backline is under scrutiny and their budget is being stretched across multiple priorities.
Liverpool turn back towards Araujo
The focus at Anfield is shifting back toward an older name on their list: Ronald Araujo.
Liverpool have been linked with the Barcelona defender before, and with the squad short both at right-back and in central defence, a versatile, battle-hardened option on a season-long loan has obvious appeal. Araujo can cover both positions, offers leadership, and arrives with a track record at the sharp end of La Liga.
With the club still wrestling over the numbers in a move for Bradley Barcola – PSG are holding out for a huge offer for the France international – Liverpool’s room to manoeuvre is limited. They are trying to protect what the piece describes as a “fragile kitty”, and a loan move for Araujo, with no obligation to buy, fits that financial reality far better than another sizeable permanent fee.
In truth, the frustration around Liverpool’s window is self-inflicted. The need for a right-back and a centre-back has been obvious for months. To be scrambling at this stage, with the season bearing down, raises fair questions about planning at the top of the club.
Yet if the brief is to find a short-term fix who can steady the defence immediately, Araujo is a logical answer.
Araujo vs Diomande: the numbers tell their own story
Diomande brings youth, upside and an attractive price tag. But when the numbers are laid out, the Barcelona defender looks the more complete, more reliable option for the here and now.
Per 90 minutes last season, Diomande averaged 68.77 successful passes with a 93.1% completion rate in the Primeira Liga. Araujo’s figures in La Liga were slightly lower in volume – 65.4 successful passes at 92% – but the gap is marginal, and the Uruguayan is operating in a stronger league against higher-calibre opposition.
Where Araujo really separates himself is in the physical duels that define Premier League defending. Diomande won 48.6% of his duels and 57.4% of his aerial battles. Araujo posted 63% in duels and 67.2% in the air. Those are significant differences, especially for a team that has struggled at times with set-pieces and direct play.
Diomande offered 0.21 chances created per 90, while Araujo’s 0.08 big chances created underline that he is not in the side to be a playmaker. Yet defensively, he is harder to beat: Diomande was dribbled past 0.35 times per 90; Araujo just 0.08.
Factor in that Araujo has been doing this in La Liga, not the Primeira Liga, and the case for him as the more “plug-and-play” solution for Andoni Iraola grows stronger. Liverpool would be betting on a defender already proven at the top level, rather than one still translating potential into dominance.
And crucially, they would be doing so without writing another large cheque.
Forest gamble, Liverpool improvise
Forest, for their part, are leaning into upside. A €40m outlay on Diomande is a statement that they believe they can develop and showcase a defender who already looks comfortable on the ball and has room to grow physically and tactically.
Liverpool are in a different phase. They need reliability now. They need someone who can walk into a backline under pressure and bring order from the first whistle of the new campaign.
Diomande to Forest looks close. Araujo to Liverpool remains a live possibility. One club is paying for tomorrow. The other, by necessity, may be about to borrow a solution for today.
