El Hadji Malick Diouf, Graham Potter
(Credit: Imago)
Evan Shaw
Tue 8 July 2025 16:40, UK
El Hadji Malick Diouf had seemed destined to join West Ham this summer but a potential stumbling block has now emerged.
The wing-back caught the eye at Slavia Prague last season, notching seven goals and two assists as the capital club raced to yet another Czech league title.
Graham Potter’s side have emerged as the frontrunners to sign Diouf, after Crystal Palace recently dropped out of the chase to secure the 20-year-old’s signature.
Slavia have been holding out for a total package of £21.5million to allow Diouf to join West Ham, and the East Londoners have already seen a bid of £17.2m knocked back.
Graham Potter West Ham
Potter’s side have emerged as the frontrunners to sign Diouf. (Credit: Imago)
Slavia Director takes firm stance on Diouf
Diouf’s switch to West Ham had seemingly become a formality, with Slavia boss Jindrich Trpisovsky recently revealing that the Senegal international is training alone ahead of his likely move.
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Trpisovsky seemed almost resigned to the fact that his star man would be departing this summer, but it now looks like Diouf’s departure may not be quite as simple as expected.
It now seems as though the wing-back could potentially be set for a drastic U-turn, following the latest comments from the chairman of the club’s board of directors, Jaroslav Tvrdik.
The Slavia chief remains adamant that Diouf will not leave unless their valuation is met in full, despite the recent comments from Trpisovsky.
“There were two offers on the table, but the basic transfer price did not exceed £17.2m,” Tvrdik told the Czech outlet iDNES (7 July).
“Diouf is probably the best player who has been here in the last ten years, at least with potential for the future. We are aware of his quality and we are determined not to sell him for a lower amount than we said.
“We have a clear idea. If the interested party does not meet it, Malick will play in the Czech League and the Champions League for Slavia in autumn.”
El Hadji Malick Diouf
Slavia won’t sell Diouf for less than their valuation. (Credit: Imago)
West Ham need to cough up for Diouf
West Ham desperately need to add depth to add a left-back this summer, with the E20 outfit linked with moves for both Nicolas Tagliafico and Nuno Tavares in recent days.
Their pursuit of Diouf seemed as though it would be a successful one, but given the current stance coming from Prague, it should now be clear to the Hammers that they need to front up and hand over the desired sum.
David Sullivan has gained a reputation over the years as an owner who is relatively tight with his cash, and that has seen countless transfer chases fall by the wayside.
That could easily happen with Diouf as well if the 76-year-old continues to try and secure a cut-price deal.
The Hammers are not far away from Slavia’s valuation, and they need to push through and table a satisfactory offer if they want the deal to go through, rather than continuing to try and undercut the valuation.
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