West Ham United is delighted to announce the signing of Senegal international El Hadji Malick Diouf.
The 20-year-old left-sided full-back or wing-back joins the Hammers from Slavia Prague, having played a key role in the club’s dominant Czech First League title win last season.
An outstanding athlete and strong competitor with an eye for both scoring and creating goals, Diouf also impressed in European competitions and was part of the Senegal team which secured an historic victory over England in June this year.
Diouf, who has signed a long-term contract and will wear the No12 shirt, is looking forward to wearing the Hammers’ famous Claret and Blue shirt and integrating with his new team-mates, and is expected to join the Irons’ pre-season training camp in Germany this week.
He said: “I’m really happy to be here and to make a progression for my career. I’m looking forward to working hard and joining my new team-mates.
“There were a lot of teams [who wanted to sign me], but I chose West Ham United first and I spoke with the coach [Graham Potter] and it was a good plan for me.
“Everyone wants to come here to play in the Premier League. I think it is a dream for everyone. When they are here, they want to make everything good. I think they also have the personality to play here and if you are young, you want to continue your progression.
“If you are young, you have to keep your personality. It’s about the team. The most important thing is the team, not the player. 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.”
Head Coach Graham Potter is excited by the opportunity to work with a talented young player with huge promise and good character.
“We are very pleased to welcome El Hadji Malick to West Ham United,” said Potter. “He is a young player we have been watching for some time, and somebody that we believe can be a really good fit for what we are trying to build at the Club.
“He has shown tremendous strength of character and maturity at such a young age - leaving his home in Senegal to move to Norway at 18, and then moving on to Prague - and his performances have been at a consistently high level for some time now.
“He has made some terrific progress so far with his clubs and with the Senegal national team, and we are looking forward to welcoming him into the squad and working with him to continue that progress.
“The Premier League will be a big challenge for El Hadji Malick, but I can tell that he is really excited by it and determined to make a good impact at the Club and on our supporters. He is young, hungry and ambitious, and I think he will be a very positive addition to the group.”
Born in Senegal’s capital city Dakar in December 2004, Diouf began his football career with Galaxy Football Academy at the age of 13. After four years there, and a spell at Académie Mawade Wade, he joined Norwegian Eliteserien club Tromsø at the age of 18 in February 2023. Diouf debuted in a Norwegian Cup win over Start the following month and, in his single season with the club, he played 21 times, scored three goals and helped Tromsø finish third and qualify for the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Diouf transferred to Slavia Prague in January 2024 and scored on his debut in a First League win at Karvina, then made his European bow for the club in a UEFA Europa League round of 16 tie at AC Milan.
Last season, Diouf was outstanding, playing all four UEFA Champions League qualifiers and eight Europa League group-stage ties and scoring seven goals as Slavia dominated the First League, conceding just 18 goals in 35 matches and winning the title by 16 points.
His form earned him a senior Senegal debut in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Burundi in September 2024, and he played the full 90 minutes of his country’s historic 3-1 win over England this summer, as the Lions of Teranga became the first African nation to defeat England.
Everyone at West Ham United would like to welcome El Hadji Malick and his family to the Club and wish him every success for his career in Claret and Blue.
