Brentford close to £40m deal for West Ham’s El Hadji Malick Diouf | OneFootball

Brentford are close to finalising a £40m move for West Ham defender El Hadji Malick Diouf, according to NY Times.

The 21-year-old has interest from three Premier League clubs, but Brentford have pushed hardest to sign the Senegal international.

He was left out for West Ham’s home defeat to Charlton Athletic at the weekend, then for Tuesday’s 4-1 EFL Cup second round win over Southampton.

West Ham stand to profit on the £19m they paid Slavia Prague last summer. The left-back produced five assists in 34 appearances in his first season.

If completed, Diouf would follow Mamadou Sangare, Jannik Schuster and Jaidon Anthony as Brentford arrivals, with Callum Wilson also joining on a free.

This season he has played twice, including against Portsmouth in the EFL Cup. With his future uncertain, academy graduate Ollie Scarles has been preferred at left-back.

Brentford’s pursuit reflects ongoing problems at left-back. Rico Henry ruptured the ACL in his left knee in September 2023. A month later Aaron Hickey suffered a hamstring injury, underwent multiple surgeries and missed the rest of 2023-24.

Both have since struggled for fitness and form. Keane Lewis-Potter has filled in and scored in the opening weekend win over Tottenham Hotspur, but he prefers to play as a winger.

Diouf brings Premier League experience and represented Senegal at this year’s World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations. His crossing is a major strength and should supply last season’s top scorer Igor Thiago as Brentford aim for Europe.

Source: NY Times

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”