West Ham beat rivals to RECORD transfer for in-demand wonderkid

The Hammers are looking to bounce back from a disappointing campaign that saw Graham Potter’s side finish 14th, leading to the need for significant investment this summer.

And the first signing of the summer could come in the face of El Hadji Malick Diouf, the Senegalese left-back who has attracted attention while playing for Czechia side Slavia Prague.

Diouf had previously been scouted by sides such as Liverpool and Manchester United, while Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest, Leeds and Brighton are all believed to have targeted him this summer.

But according to Czech outlet iSport, an agreement with West Ham is in the ‘final stages’ for a fee of €25 million – a record amount for a player from the country’s domestic leagues.

It is said that ‘everything is practically agreed’ for the transfer, with Diouf likely to fly to London this weekend to finalise his deal after drawn out negotiations to achieve the record fee, which is believed to include add-ons.

Diouf gets ‘suited’ Premier League transfer after impressing on international stage

Diouf has impressed with his goalscoring prowess from left-back, with the 20-year-old scoring seven times this season and also thriving in Senegal’s shock win over England last month.

The four-cap youngster plays on the left-side of defence but can also play further forward as a wide midfielder or a wing-back, with Diouf set to join Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek as players who made the move to West Ham from the Czech league.

Speaking last year, Diouf’s former coach for Norwigen side Tromso suggested the defender would thrive in the Premier League.

“It is often said that the English league is a natural fit for him, and the player himself should have preferred this alternative to other competitions,” Lars Gunnar Johnsen said.

“ I honestly think that the Premier League will suit him.”

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