Latest from Portugal: Nottingham Forest and Sporting just €2m apart

Nottingham Forest’s pursuit of Ousmane Diomande has reached a point where the remaining gap between the two clubs is measured in a couple of millions.

According to Record, Sporting and Forest are now just €2m (£1.7m) apart. Negotiations continue over the Ivory Coast international’s transfer to the City Ground.

The Portuguese newspaper expects that difference to be resolved before the end of the week.

Exact figures revealed

Record reports that Nottingham Forest’s latest proposal is worth €38m (£33m) in guaranteed money, with a further €4m (£3.5m) available through performance-related bonuses.

Sporting, meanwhile, continue to hold firm. The Portuguese champions are demanding €40m (£35m) up front, plus another €5m (£4.3m) in add-ons. They have shown no willingness to reduce their fixed-price requirement.

That leaves the clubs separated by just €2m on the guaranteed fee, with a further €1m difference in the bonus package.

Confidence agreement will be reached

Despite the remaining gap, Record describes negotiations as being at an advanced stage. The publication believes an agreement is likely before the week is out.

The expectation in Portugal is that Diomande will soon link up with Oliver Glasner’s squad. This will happen once the final financial details are settled.

Rather than major disagreements over the transfer itself, discussions now appear to revolve around bridging a relatively small difference in valuation.

But the latest figures also help explain why the transfer has dragged on. Earlier this week, Portuguese media pointed to Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis as a key reason. They said negotiations have moved more slowly than expected, describing his hard-bargaining approach as a familiar feature of transfer talks.

With the clubs now just €2m (£1.7m) apart on the guaranteed fee, Record’s latest update suggests that stance remains unchanged.

For Nottingham Forest, the numbers suggest the finish line is now clearly in sight. The remaining question is whether either club blinks first over the final €2m.