West Ham deal for Sheffield United star hinges on Malick Diouf decision | OneFootball

El Hadji Malick Diouf's future at West Ham is the subject of uncertainty this summer

West Ham are back in pre-season ahead of their return to the Championship for the next campaign.

The Hammers finished 18th in the Premier League, suffering relegation after a 14-year stint in the top flight.

Nuno Espírito Santo’s side earned 39 points, two adrift of 17th place Tottenham Hotspur, and will now be aiming to win promotion from the second tier at the first attempt.

It has been a busy start to the summer transfer window for the London outfit, with a number of names linked with a move away.

The club are also looking at potential signings, with Mateus Fernandes’ £85 million sale to Spurs offering them an injection of cash that can be used in the transfer market.

West Ham will get their season underway on 16 August against Burnley, but have until 1 September to complete their transfer business.

West Ham’s Harrison Burrows transfer stance

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It has been reported by Football Insider that West Ham will target a move for Harrison Burrows if El Hadji Malick Diouf is sold.

It was previously revealed by FLW in May that the London outfit hold an interest in the full-back following their relegation.

But any move for the Sheffield United star will likely wait until after a decision is made on Diouf’s future.

The defender was competing in the World Cup with Senegal, who were eliminated from the competition in the round of 32 against Belgium.

And now speculation is likely to ramp up regarding his future now that his participation in North America has concluded.

It has previously been claimed that Everton are interested in a deal for the West Ham star, who contributed five assists from 32 Premier League appearances last season.

If Diouf is sold, then West Ham have identified Burrows as one of their top targets to replace him.

The 24-year-old joined Sheffield United in the 2024 summer transfer window, and has established himself as a key part of Chris Wilder’s first team plans in that time.

The defender has made 87 league appearances, and has contributed 10 goals and seven assists.

He was a key part of the team as the Blades reached the play-off final in 2025, with Sheffield United suffering defeat to Sunderland.

Burrows has a contract with the Yorkshire outfit until June 2028, and it remains to be seen what kind of asking price the club will place on him amid West Ham’s interest

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Harrison Burrows is a natural replacement to El Hadji Malick Diouf

Burrows has been impressive for Sheffield United across the last two seasons, quite naturally taking the step back up to the Championship from Peterborough United.

The left-back would be an obvious replacement for Diouf, if he is sold, as they are both quite similar in their style of play.

The two defenders both have a strong emphasis on getting forward and contributing in the final third, almost working as wing-backs instead of full-backs.

This should also make him suited to Espírito Santo’s style of play, given the importance he places on the full-backs, or sometimes wing-backs, to get forward and be a crucial part of the attack.