news-engine

West Ham are expecting a bid from Brentford for full-back El Hadji Malick Diouf. That is according to talkSPORT, who have reported that the Bees are ready to bid for the Senegalese international. It was reported a few days ago by ExWHUEmployee that the Irons were bracing themselves for an offer to come in for Diouf, who signed for West Ham last summer. Diouf was signed from Slavia Prague for £19 million in 2025, and it looks like, after a season of Premier League football, Keith Andrews’ Brentford are prepared to bid £40 million for the 21-year-old – more than twice the fee West Ham paid for the defender. Unlike the cases of Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville, West Ham were not actively considering offers for Diouf. But if this bid comes in from Brentford, the Irons should accept it. Diouf is a promising player with a lot of great attributes – he is quick, he has a great delivery from wide positions, and he seems to have a great attitude. He would certainly be one of the best full-backs in the Championship. But there is also a lot missing from his game. His defending was often suspect last season, and his decision-making was not always sound. He gave away penalties in two high-stakes games last season – the AFCON final against Morocco for Senegal and in a must-not-lose game for West Ham towards the end of last season against (ironically enough) Brentford, which the Irons lost 3-0. Diouf definitely has time to grow and develop his game, but I don’t see him becoming worth more than £40 million at West Ham. Given how thin Nuno Espírito Santo’s squad is, I would be reluctant to sell any more assets, but this £40 million for Diouf is quite substantial, and a superb return on investment. It would bring West Ham’s total player sales this summer to £200 million following the sales of Fernandes, Summerville and Freddie Potts. Remarkable, considering a mass sale of players was expected to balance the books this summer. Diouf’s sale could be what allows the Irons to bring in the likes of Troy Parrott, Arne Engels and Jordan James. This West Ham side needs bodies and quality to get promoted. Of course, a replacement for Diouf would need to be identified as well, but the Irons could probably find a decent Championship full-back for a quarter of that £40 million price tag if they wanted to. Diouf is a good player and would certainly develop his game further in Brentford’s textbook footballing system, but if this bid comes in, I’d take the money and run.