-
News
- 1 hours ago
West Ham beat rivals to RECORD transfer for in-demand wonderkid
Suraj Radia
- 4 Jul 2025 16:30 BST
- 4 min read
News
West Ham are closing in on a record-breaking signing while beating a number of Premier League rivals in the process for one of the brightest young defenders in Europe.
The Hammers are looking to bounce back from a disappointing campaign that saw Graham Potter’s side finish 14th, leading to the need for significant investment this summer.
And the first signing of the summer could come in the face of El Hadji Malick Diouf, the Senegalese left-back who has attracted attention while playing for Czechia side Slavia Prague.
Current ETV
El Hadji Malick Diouf
M (L)
Slavia Praha
El Hadji Malick Diouf
M (L)
Slavia Praha
ETV Range
€17.1M - €20.9M
Diouf had previously been scouted by sides such as Liverpool and Manchester United, while Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest, Leeds and Brighton are all believed to have targeted him this summer.
But according to Czech outlet iSport, an agreement with West Ham is in the ‘final stages’ for a fee of €25 million – a record amount for a player from the country’s domestic leagues.
It is said that ‘everything is practically agreed’ for the transfer, with Diouf likely to fly to London this weekend to finalise his deal after drawn out negotiations to achieve the record fee, which is believed to include add-ons.
Diouf gets ‘suited’ Premier League transfer after impressing on international stage
Diouf has impressed with his goalscoring prowess from left-back, with the 20-year-old scoring seven times this season and also thriving in Senegal’s shock win over England last month.
The four-cap youngster plays on the left-side of defence but can also play further forward as a wide midfielder or a wing-back, with Diouf set to join Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek as players who made the move to West Ham from the Czech league.
Speaking last year, Diouf’s former coach for Norwigen side Tromso suggested the defender would thrive in the Premier League.
"It is often said that the English league is a natural fit for him, and the player himself should have preferred this alternative to other competitions,” Lars Gunnar Johnsen said.
“ I honestly think that the Premier League will suit him.”
Football transfer news headlines today
DONE DEALS: Every official completed transfer around Europe today
New Arsenal arrival announced by David Ornstein: Arteta hints at radical change
Fabrizio Romano transfer news: Madueke VERDICT, Man Utd CALLS, Nico Williams LATEST
Marc Guehi heads to Liverpool as €55m Crystal Palace deal confirmed
The FootballTransfers app
Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.
The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:
