“Agreement close” – Sudden u-turn now puts Liverpool transfer in serious jeopardy

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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 LiverpoolBeing 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, 2026However, 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.Want more Empire of the Kop coverage?

Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trustIt’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 mattersLook, we’re not totally satisfied with the manner in which Liverpool have handled this summer transfer window. 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).