Leeds United Under-21s lost against Nottingham Forest on Saturdayplaceholder image
Leeds United Under-21s lost against Nottingham Forest on Saturday | AFP via Getty Images
Leeds United’s Premier League relegation rivals West Ham have received a blow
West Ham summer signing El Hadji Malick Diouf has spoken openly about his future and how he sees himself at a “top club” away from the Hammers.
The London club are currently in the relegation zone and below Leeds United by a point. They have already had a change of manager when Graham Potter was sacked earlier this season and replaced by Portuguese bossNuno Espírito Santo.
Their form has picked up in recent weeks, winning back-to-back games against Newcastle United and Burnley heading into the international break but the Hammers have been handed a blow by one of their standout performers just when it looked like their season was on an upward trajectory.
Diof appeared on Canal+ to discuss his development at West Ham and what his hopes are for the future of his career, and this is when he made the admission that he sees himself away from the London Stadium later down the line.
“Ideally, I see myself at a top club, among the five best in the world,” the Senegal international said.
“I think I have the potential to get there through hard work. And I hope, God willing, to achieve that. I’ve only been playing professionally for two years, so I’m remaining patient.”
The 20-year-old full-back joined West Ham in the summer for £19m from Slavia Prague and has gone on to impress many with his electrifying efforts to get up and down the left-hand side of the pitch. Diouf has faced Leeds once already this season in a 2-1 loss at Elland Road.
El Hadji Malick Diouf has starred on the international stage for Senegal.placeholder image
El Hadji Malick Diouf has starred on the international stage for Senegal. | Charles McQuillan/Getty Images
It will be upsetting for some Hammers fans to see a player who is new to the club already discussing leaving for bigger clubs, and these kinds of quotes will not help the ongoing tensions at the club.
Some fans have been protesting at games this season and are calling for club chairman David Sullivan and vice-chair Karen Brady to step down from their roles, as fans believe the club has not grown after their success in the 2023 Conference League, and many are not happy with the London Stadium.
Diouf also discussed how he looks up to Paris Saint-Germain’s Nuno Mendes, who is considered one of the best full-backs in the world and helped the French side win their first Champions League title last season.
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The Dakar-born defender is seen as a modern defender who is known more for contributing in attack than his defensive prowess but he says he is still developing and can grow in that side of his game like Mendes has.
“I saw Nuno Mendes say that two years ago, he wasn’t yet at his best defensively,” he said.
“But look at him today, he’s strong. I think he’s also an example. It’s simply up to us to work hard to be strong there.”
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