(Credit: Imago)

Evan Shaw

Fri 1 May 2026 15:30, UK

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West Ham United’s chances of keeping hold of El Hadji Malick Diouf could be set to receive a major blow after the upcoming World Cup this summer.

Manchester United have got the exciting left-back firmly on their radar as a target, and are expected to try and push towards a deal in the coming months.

The Senegal international has earned plenty of admirers in his debut Premier League season and has been one of the Hammers’ key players, with five assists from defence.

Diouf will be crucial for Nuno Espirito Santo in the final stages of his team’s fight against relegation in the next few weeks, but his future beyond that is surely in major doubt.

West Ham want to strengthen their group rather than weaken it ahead of next season, but Diouf is about to head into the ultimate shop window at the worst possible time.

AFCON scout missions to explode again at World Cup

Football Insider revealed back in January that West Ham could be forced to accept offers for Diouf this summer, after a number of top clubs watched him in action at the Africa Cup of Nations.

The 21-year-old shone for his country during that campaign, and that appears to have been a contributing factor behind some of the interest that has built up of late.

Man United already have him on their radar as a possible answer to their long-term problems at left-back, and the World Cup could see interest in the starlet explode ahead of next term.

There are likely to be even more scouts with their eyes on the tournament than there were at AFCON, meaning that if Diouf impresses, the number of potential suitors could potentially skyrocket.

With that in mind, the timing of that tournament could not have been worse from West Ham’s point of view, as the more interest there is in their star, the less chance they have of being able to keep hold of him.

The Irons are already facing a battle on their hands, but by the time pre-season comes around, that fight may become impossible for them.

West Ham face summer exodus of key defenders even with survival

Football Insider revealed last week that Konstantinos Mavropanos has his heart set on a return to Germany this summer, amid strong suggestions of a move to Borussia Dortmund.

Like Diouf, the Greek centre-back has been a crucial part of the defensive effort that has seen the East Londoners give themselves a lifeline in recent weeks, but he could be on his way out this summer.

That duo could both be in line to depart the London Stadium regardless of which division the team end up in next term, which would leave Nuno in need of a complete defensive overhaul.

The Portuguese will be fearing that possibility in the back of his mind already, but for now, all of his focus will be centred around keeping West Ham in the league.