By: Osabuohien Imuetinyanosa
West Ham has signed Senegal defender El Hadji Malick Diouf from Slavia Prague for £19m.
The 20-year-old joins the Hammers on a long-term contract and is expected to meet up with the club’s pre-season training camp in Germany this week.
Diouf was a key player for Slavia Prague when they won the Czech top-flight title last season.
He said “a lot of clubs” were interested in signing him, but he chose West Ham, as it “was a good plan for me”.
“I want to say to the West Ham supporters I’m very happy to be here with them. I think we’ll make a very good season this year,” Diouf told the club’s website., external
“Everyone wants to come here to play in the Premier League. I think it is a dream for everyone.”
Manager Graham Potter said Diouf, who can play at left-back or left wing-back, was a player the club had been watching for some time.
“He is young, hungry and ambitious, and I think he will be a very positive addition to the group,” he added.
Diouf left Senegal at the age of 18 to join Norwegian side Tromso in February 2023, playing 21 times and scoring three goals.
He then joined Slavia Prague a year later and scored on his debut in a league win at Karvina.
Last season, he scored seven goals as Slavia won the title by 16 points, conceding just 18 goals in 35 matches.
Diouf earned his first Senegal cap in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Burundi in September 2024, and he played in the country’s 3-1 friendly win against England in June. (Reuters).
