- Manchester United are reportedly interested in West Ham’s El Hadji Malick Diouf
- The Hammers are in the Premier League relegation zone
- Diouf ranks joint-first among league defenders for assists with five
West Ham United’s El Hadji Malick Diouf is considered the perfect profile for Manchester United’s aims of reinforcing their full-back area this summer.
The Hammers are 18th in the Premier League and face a major battle to preserve their top-flight status with three matches remaining.
Regardless of relegation, interest in West Ham’s most attractive assets is expected to be high. Star players Mateus Fernandes and Jarrod Bowen have featured heavily in the rumor mill, and Diouf is the latest to have drawn attention from clubs’ summer shortlists.
Manchester United impressed by El Hadji Malick Diouf’s season
According to Football Insider, the Hammers’ left-back “ticks a lot of boxes” for the Red Devils because of his “attacking prowess,” with the Old Trafford club looking to acquire an athletic, expansive player in that part of their team.
Senegalese international Diouf only joined the Hammers from Czech champions Slavia Prague last summer for a deal worth £19 million and has rapidly adapted to the physical and technical demands of Premier League football.
Football Insider claims that the 21-year-old’s unrelenting energy combined with tantalizing cross ability has impressed those in charge of recruitment at United, who see Diouf as a more dynamic alternative to rival Luke Shaw for the left-back berth as the club ramps up their plans for Champions League football next season.
El Hadji Malick Diouf vs Luke Shaw 2025/26 Premier League Statistics per Fotmob
| Matches (Starts) | Assists | Tackles per 90 | Interception per 90 | Clearances per 90 | |
| El Hadji Malick Diouf | 29 (27) | 5 | 1.47 | 1.11 | 4.02 |
| Luke Shaw | 35 (35) | 1 | 2.15 | 1.27 | 2.64 |
Diouf is amongst the Premier League’s most productive players in his position, with five assists so far – a tally that ranks him joint-first in the division with a host of names, including Arsenal’s Jurriën Timber, Manchester City’s Matheus Nunes, Burnley and Dutch international Quilindschy Hartman and Aston Villa’s set-piece specialist Lucas Digne.
Diouf remains a raw prospect. In his recent outing against Brentford, Wayne Rooney labeled his defending as “stupid, naïve” as West Ham suffered a damaging 3-0 loss. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side were frivolous in defending wide threat, with Diouf playing an inactive role in the first and second goals.
