West Ham agree £40m Brentford bid for defender Diouf
West Ham have accepted a Brentford offer worth up to £40m for 21-year-old Senegal left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf, who has been cleared for a medical.
Brentford have struck a verbal agreement with West Ham for the transfer of defender El Hadji Malick Diouf, in a deal that could reach £40m. The initial fee is set at £35m, with a further £5m possible through add-ons.
West Ham have signed off on Brentford's offer, and the 21-year-old has been given the go-ahead for a medical examination. Diouf featured for West Ham in their Championship season opener against Burnley but has since been left out of the squad for the club's last two matches.
The left-back has been Brentford's top defensive priority throughout this transfer window. Talks had cooled earlier in the summer before picking back up again this week. A move to Brentford would see Diouf return to the Premier League, having gone down with West Ham last season.
The sale would mark a significant profit for West Ham, who paid £19m to sign Diouf from Slavia Prague just a year ago. He made 34 appearances for the Hammers last season, registering five assists.
Should the transfer go through, Diouf would become Brentford's fifth summer addition, following striker Callum Wilson, midfielder Mamadou Sangare, centre-back Jannik Schuster and winger Jaidon Anthony. Diouf established himself in Senegal's national team last year and played in four matches at this summer's World Cup.
While West Ham were relegated after finishing 18th, Brentford had a strong campaign under manager Keith Andrews, ending the season in ninth place and narrowly missing out on European qualification on goal difference. Brentford opened their new season with a 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur and face Leeds in their next league fixture on Sunday.
