By Kris Gonzo | Senior West Ham Columnist (Follow on X)
El Hadji Malick Diouf is close to completing a big-money transfer to Brentford according to reports in France.
The Hammers left-back has been left out of Nuno Espírito Santo’s starting line-ups for the opening three games of the season following rumours of a bad attitude.
Nuno has instead preferred Ollie Scarles at full-back, despite the West Ham head coach previously being determined to keep Diouf at the London Stadium this summer.
However, when Claret & Hugh spoke to our leading transfer source about the player, we were told in no uncertain terms:
“Diouf will not play in the Championship. He wants to leave.”
Ollie Scarles started the season at left back for West Ham
Brentford Closing In On Diouf
French website Foot Mercato have this afternoon reported that West Ham and Brentford are close to agreeing a deal for the 21-year-old.
A figure of around £35m has been suggested, which would provide a decent profit on the Senegalese full-back signed from Slavia Prague for approximately £19m a year ago.
It represents quite a turnaround after reports last week suggested Brentford had gone cold on a possible deal.
West Ham had previously been demanding £50m for Diouf amid interest from Sunderland, while C&H had already been informed that the player was open to leaving.
Koppen Must Reinvest The Money
Quite how much of the money the club will be allowed to spend on Diouf’s replacement is anyone’s guess, and understandably there is some nervousness amongst supporters given the transfer business done so far this summer.
I’ve previously written that selling Diouf without having confidence in his replacement frightened the life out of me.
However, circumstances appear to have changed although my confidence in us sourcing a credible replacement hasn’t.
If Diouf wishes to leave and doesn’t want to play for West Ham anymore, then it’s good riddance as far as I’m concerned.
What Nils Koppen must do now is reinvest the money in a fast full-back with good ability and even better potential.
But time is running out.
What really p***es me off is the guys who are determined to leave are still picking up weekly pay far greater than most of us earn in a year!!
There must be some mechanism where you forfeit your pay if effectively on strike!!
I for one will be very sad to see him go, when he was on it, his crosses were perfect. He is still really young with room to grow and already a full international for his country.
I can’t believe we have fallen so low that a team like Brentford (well run, no issues with them) are seen as a better option than us.
He will be begging to play for West Ham in the Championship inn7 days if we tell him to grow up because we expect him to stay and fix what he messed up last year. Stop caving in and giving the baby sweets all the time. What are we like?
Amazing how rats leave a sinking ship.They got us relegated but still have the arrogance to think they are too good to play for us.Annoying thing on top is that barely any of the huge profits On Fernandes,Summerville and now diouf have been reinvested on squad strength..not sure what is going on here.
From the moment he signed said we were a stepping stone towards playing for a big club I took an instant dislike and I think he’s a Championship standard at best so good riddance. I think he will end up as a squad player wherever he goes.
Who is actually running West Ham ?? are Kretinsky and Staveley plotting to get us down to the first div so Sullivans shares will be cheaper. I don’t think they give a toss about our club they are just interested in buying the ground at a knocked down price and all the area that goes with it.
Apparently Hollywood FC have done a deal with French club Angers for the left back position.
He never wanted to play for us anyway. He made that clear the way he lazily gave away a penalty which helped us get relegated
Good riddance. A galling part of your article is reading that a player ‘Won’t play in the Championship’. Who is responsible for us being in the Championship?!!
He can’t defend so it is no great loss and bringing in even an adequate left back will be a like-for-like replacement. HOWEVER… isn’t it a managers job to make a player better? I imagine Keith Andrews, who seems like an excellent manager, will be able to make him a better defender than he is currently.
Good money for a mediocre player with a bad attitude. Next…..
C&H reported that we had knocked back a £40m bid. Why are we now about to accept 35?
it must be a very slow fòótball news day in france if they’re reporting on transfers involving the Hammers and the bees ! i hope we’re fining Diouf 2 weeks wages for won’t playing .
But defo need to get another left-back to replace him as there’s plenty of games left in the championship to need a newbie along with Scarles and maybe Mayers , though doesn’t really löök like we have plenty of spending money in way that we have been buying x