El Hadji Malick Diouf: Brentford eye move for Senegal and West Ham left-back

El Hadji Malick Diouf, the Senegal left-back currently at West Ham United, is being linked with a move to Premier League side Brentford as the Championship club prepare for life outside the top flight.

The 21-year-old, who joined West Ham from Slavia Prague in July 2025 for a fee of €22m, is under contract at the London Stadium until June 2030 but is attracting interest after establishing himself in English football last season. Diouf made 32 Premier League appearances for West Ham in 2025-26, contributing five assists and clocking more than 2,700 minutes before the club’s relegation.

Brentford are understood to be exploring options at left-back ahead of the new campaign and view Diouf’s top-flight experience and age profile as a potential fit. Any deal is likely to be expensive, with the defender currently valued at around €28m.

Diouf has already built a varied CV despite his age, winning the Czech league title with Slavia in 2024-25 before his move to England and featuring in European competition, including the Europa League and Champions League qualifiers. Born in Ziguinchor and 1.77m tall, he prefers to operate on the left side of defence.

The defender has also broken onto the international stage, appearing for Senegal at the 2026 World Cup, where he featured in three of their matches. With four years remaining on his West Ham deal, the London club are under no immediate pressure to sell, leaving any move to Brentford dependent on both a significant offer and the player’s willingness to swap regular football in the Championship for a return to the Premier League.