'£30m' claim made on West Ham's El Hadji Malick Diouf - 'I don't want him to go' | OneFootball

FLW's West Ham fan pundit shares their thoughts on the potential sale of El Hadji Malick Diouf this summer

The summer transfer window is officially open, and for West Ham United, sales will need to be made before incomings, with the club looking to raise funds following their relegation from the Premier League to the Championship.

After 14 years in the top-flight, West Ham's stay in England's premier division is officially over for now.

A 3-0 victory on the final day of the campaign at home to Leeds United was not enough to keep the Hammers afloat, with Tottenham Hotspur defeating Everton on the same day to send the East London outfit down on 39 points.

It's a catastrophic and unprecedented turn of events for a club that lifted European silverware just three years ago, but will now be preparing to host the likes of Lincoln City and Wrexham (no disrespect intended to either) at their 62,500 capacity London Stadium.

West Ham may need to raise in excess of £100 million in player sales following the loss of Premier League revenue, with the likes of Jarrod Bowen, Crysencio Summerville, and Mateus Fernandes each touted as the club's biggest saleable assets.

However, exits aplenty are expected throughout the squad, as Nuno prepares to decide who will be sticking around in the second tier with the club next campaign for their promotion push.

West Ham United could sell El Hadji Malick Diouf this summer in a bid to raise funds

Action images

With Fernandes touted with an £80 million move to either Real Madrid or Manchester United, Bowen linked with both Liverpool and Chelsea, and Summerville also linked with a move to Man United, West Ham should meet their target of £100 million in sales this summer.

However, they could still be tempted to move some other players on, including left wing-back El Hadji Malick Diouf.

Diouf, 21, joined the Hammers in the summer from Slavia Prague for around £19 million after excelling in the Czech capital, having initially made his venture to Europe with Norwegian side Tromso.

The Senegalese international made 32 Premier League appearances, grabbing five assists as the Hammers were relegated, and whilst still clearly needing to make some refinements to his game, he has an abundance of talent and showed flashes of his brilliance.

Football League World's West Ham fan pundit, Ryan Horn, has provided their thoughts on whether they think the club will sell Diouf this summer, and if so, how much they should look to receive for him in the event of a sale.

Ryan said: "Do I expect West Ham to sell Diouf? I think it depends on the offer.

"Obviously, the club's financial situation is kind of well documented, though our new majority shareholder has reportedly put money into the club. But it's tough, because he had little sparks of brilliance playing in the Premier League, and maybe it was just the jumping from the Czech league to the Premier League was a bit too much of a big step. He is young.

"I don't think we'll sell him, to be honest. Him and Scarles are a decent left-back pairing to have, and at minimum I would say £30 million, like £25 million to £30 million if we were to sell him.

"I know there've been rumours that clubs in the Premier League are interested. I don't want him to go personally."

Nuno Espirito Santo will have a big decision to make on the future of El Hadji Malick Diouf this summer

Action images

Nuno is no stranger to the Championship, and knows exactly what it takes to get a team promoted from it.

With Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2018, Nuno led the Old Gold to the second-tier title on 99 points, with Diogo Jota up top, Ruben Neves orchestrating play in midfield, and Willy Boly a brick wall at the back.

The Portuguese boss has tended to prefer a back three formation with wing-backs across his managerial career, though whether he intends on sticking with that system following relegation remains to be seen.

Regardless, Diouf would excel at either left-back or left wing-back in the second-tier, and is clearly already a cut above Championship level, and retaining his services would be a huge bonus for the Hammers' pursuit of promotion.

Under contract until 2030, it will take a big offer for West Ham to part ways with Diouf this summer, as Nuno weighs up whether to cash in on the Senegalese international or not.