There was another twist in the ongoing El Hadji Malick Diouf saga earlier this week, as West Ham United remain locked in talks over the Slavia Prague and Senegal left-back.
It was assumed by some that the highly-rated 20-year-old had made his last appearance in the red and white shirt of the Czech champions.
But that was not how Jaroslav Tvrdik saw it.
The Slavia Prague president hinted at Diouf’s involvement ahead of a couple of pre-season friendlies on Wednesday afternoon.
El Hadji Malick Diouf had been given extra time off after his involvement for Senegal in June – the West Ham target had Bukayo Saka ‘in hell’ as the Lions of Teranga stunned Thomas Tuchel’s side in Nottingham – but, to quote Tvrdik, ‘there [was] no reason for him not to be available and play on Wednesday’.
Yet, as Slavia Prague defeated Hungarian outfit Diosgyori VTK and Cypriot side Aris Limassol in a friendly double-header, Diouf was conspicuous by his absence on both occasions.
West Ham United are expected to make another bid once Mohammed Kudus’ £55 million move to Tottenham Hotspur goes through. And, speaking in the aftermath of those 2-0 and 3-2 midweek wins, Slavia coach Jindrich Trpisovsky once again expressed his belief that Diouf is becoming a big shark in a small pond.
A big shark in need of fresh waters.
Jindrich Trpisovsky accepts West Ham United target El Hadji Malick Diouf should leave Slavia Prague
By his own admission, Trpisovsky thinks El Hadji Malick Diouf will be a West Ham player before the summer is out.
“From this point of view, I am satisfied with the reinforcements. Transfers are developing. I see that Malick Diouf has completely outgrown the league,” the manager now tells Sport. “And we will work with the changes [if Diouf goes].
“New players are jumping in. We are interested in the young ones. In football, you have to live in the present.”
Slavia Prague have already signed a potential long-term replacement in former MSK Zilina left-back Dominik Javorcek, albeit he will be out for the foreseeable future after suffering a serious knee injury shortly after joining. Michal Sadilek, the experienced southpaw brought in from FC Twente, is capable of filling in on the left in the meantime.
Slavia started with Tomas Holes and Emmanuel Fully in Diouf’s usual position, meanwhile, against Diosgyori and Aris respectively.
Slavia president Jaroslav Tvrdik sends message to West Ham
Hammers News understands that Malick Diouf is West Ham’s number one left-back target this summer. Aaron Cresswell has departed already while Graham Potter is happy to let Emerson Palmieri go too, potentially leaving Ollie Scarles as the club’s only senior player in the position unless Diouf arrives before the new Premier League season kicks off in a months’ time.
Slavia rejected bids from Crystal Palace and courted interest from Chelsea in a previous transfer window.
Now, with Diouf himself feeling that the time is right for a new challenge, Tvrdik is in no mood to stand in his way providing a reported £21.5 million asking price is met.
“Life is dynamic. We are in contact with several clubs. I still think [Diouf] should be a potential priority for West Ham,” Tvrdik said in comments broadcast on Tuesday. “If the interest is not as we imagine, we are prepared not to sell him.
“We generally say that offers from the Premier League are not [often] rejected, but it has to be a good offer. We are aware of his high quality.
“[Diouf] is perhaps the player with the greatest potential in the last ten years. We are ready to sell him, but we are [operating] based on some objective data. We are very aware of his price and we are patient.”
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