Formed by Hammers supporters Jack Elderton and Callum Goodall to offer their fellow fans in-depth but accessible analysis of their team and its players, Analytics United provide content for the Club's official website, app, Official Programme and social media channels.
Today, Analytics United use performance analysis and data to examine the contribution El Hadji Malick Diouf could make to West Ham United...
West Ham United have confirmed the signing of 20-year-old Senegalese international left-sided full-back or wing-back El Hadji Malick Diouf from Slavia Prague. Diouf becomes the third player to join from the Czech league champions after Tomáš Souček and Vladimír Coufal both signed in 2020, powering the club’s rapid ascent towards the top six, continental challenges and eventual UEFA Conference League glory.
In contrast to Souček and Coufal, Diouf joins much earlier in his career after establishing himself as one of the best players in Czechia in the 18 months following his initial move from Tromsø in Norway. His move to east London represents the third step in an incredibly quick rise from relative obscurity to the Premier League, only possible due to the his unique blend of technical ability, physical prowess and professionalism.
Capable of playing at both left-back and left-wing-back, Diouf combines several outstanding qualities required from a lateral defender but none stand out more so than his ability to contribute in the final third, not just as a generator of chances but also as a finisher. Looking across his seven goals from last season, it is clear to see that he has the diligence to hold the width on the far-side for long enough to stretch the opposition defence, the patience to wait for long enough for his opposite number to focus on the ball and then the anticipation to strike and exploit space at the far post. These are important qualities for Graham Potter as he frequently used wingers in the wing-back slots at Brighton to find more goal threat in these positions with low crosses and cutbacks often a preferred method of chance creation.
If goalscoring is an unusual place to start when describing a full-back’s strengths, we can return to more familiar ground by looking at Diouf’s crossing ability. And if low crosses and cutbacks are important ways to attack under Potter, Diouf is capable of bringing high level execution of more traditional methods to the table as well. His delivery off his left foot is evocative of the best days of Aaron Cresswell as he is able to hit a moving ball travelling at speed like a free-kick. The power he is able to generate, alongside a healthy dose of devilish whip, enables him to avoid the first man with consistency whilst landing balls right in between the opposition centre-backs. This could dovetail brilliantly with the aerial talents of Niclas Füllkrug and the space exploiting instincts of former Slavia man, Souček. Diouf finished the Czech First League season with 0.16 expected assists per 90 and racked up 4.21 shot-creating actions per 90 in Slavia’s UEFA Europa League campaign, inside the top 6% of full-backs in the competition.
Another important quality for any wing-back in a back-five system is the ability to carry forward at speed. 2024/25 Hammer of the Season, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, made a huge impact after signing from Manchester United last summer by carrying forwards more than the vast majority of other full-backs in the Premier League (top 10%) and completing an impressive number of take-ons at 1.83 per 90 (top 3%). Potter will hope to find the same qualities in Diouf on the other side this season and the Senegalese has put together an impressive catalogue in Czechia to prove his ability to do just that. Diouf completed 2.06 progressive carries last season, sixth amongst full-backs in his division, attempted 2.71 dribbles per 90, placing seventh, and completed 61.1% of those attempts, ranking third amongst other high-volume dribblers. These metrics clearly show that aforementioned combination of technical and physical prowess as he charges upfield, beating players and retaining possession.
Those physical strengths are only further highlighted when looking at the defensive side of Diouf’s game. Anyone watching Senegal’s 3-1 victory over England at the end of last season would’ve noted Diouf’s fearlessness against one of the best close-control wingers in world football in Bukayo Saka. The young Senegalese never hesitated when racing in to contest Saka’s receptions and arrived with such intensity that he was able to turnover possession and launch counter-attacks on numerous occasions. Looking back to the data from Slavia’s Europa League campaign, we can see this further highlighted in Diouf’s ridiculous 7.83 ball recoveries per 90, a figure higher than any other player in his position managed.
This kind of off-ball intensity was something that West Ham desperately needed to add after struggling to keep pace when attempting to step out and press more aggressively as a team. Diouf’s outstanding ability in this department should go some way to helping ameliorate these issues, functionalising Potter’s press on the left side of the pitch. Thankfully, he does so without simultaneously contributing duel-brittleness, instead bringing more duel-dominance in the wide areas, complementing Wan-Bissaka’s incredible 71.9% success rate against dribblers with his very own 64.5% tackle win-rate.
It is also worth noting that Diouf should bring no issues under the high ball. Standing at six feet tall and boasting a 54.5% aerial success rate, unlike many creatively talented dribbling wing-backs, Diouf is able to hold his own defending the back post against some of the bigger forwards that he comes up against. He also shows a calmness in possession that pairs well with Potter’s intent to turn West Ham into a more possession-dominant side that patiently waits for opportunities whilst denying the opposition the time with the ball required to generate a higher number of chances. Both his short pass completion of 86% and his progressive passes per 90 of 11.1 represent real standout data-points and make him one of those rare players that can contribute across all phases in attack and defence.
At 20 years of age, Diouf is one of the most exciting young full-backs in world football. His personality was such a positive, on and off the pitch in Prague, that manager Jindřich Trpišovský took the chance to bring him on in the 90th minute of their last pre-season friendly to a rapturous reception, serving as a fitting send-off for a player who made a huge impression in just a short period at a very young age. Potter will hope that Diouf can make a similar impression in east London, forging a good bond with the fans and driving West Ham forward into a more youthful and stylish future.
*The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of Analytics United and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of West Ham United.
