West Ham Calling: Malick Diouf Leaves Slavia
Diouf waved goodbye to a sold-out Eden Arena for the last time during Sunday’s final pre-season win against Dynamo Dresden. He played a symbolic final minute, with his transfer to West Ham being finalized just hours before kick-off.
He joined the post-match lap of honour, but had to leave during the celebrations. At 6:20 PM, he boarded a flight via Paris to London.
Diouf arrived at Eden in January 2024 after an impressive autumn with a Norwegian club. From the winter camp in Algarve, he showed great determination and a desire to make his mark – and he truly hit the ground running. He made his debut in the third spring round, starting away at Karviná, where he calmly slotted the ball past the keeper to make it 3–0. He celebrated his first goal in an emotional embrace with manager Jindřich Trpišovský. Not long after, he added his second – this time at home, during a cup derby.
The 183 cm tall right-back soon encountered his first major setback. In the Europa League Round of 16 at San Siro, he was sent off just before the half-hour mark. For the remainder of the spring, he mostly sat on the bench or played for the B team.
“We felt sorry for him. He came as a young kid and things didn’t go his way, which he took hard. The turning point came during the summer camp – he worked incredibly hard. By the time the Champions League qualifiers began, he was in great form,” said assistant coach Zdeněk Houštecký in Halftime magazine.
His performances improved rapidly. In the second league round, he scored a fantastic winner under the crossbar in Liberec. In the following match against Olomouc, he scored again and confirmed his form.
His rise did not go unnoticed. In September, he received a call-up to the Senegal national team and debuted against Burundi. A month later, he started in the match against Malawi.
Within the Slavia setup, he became a key player on the right side. His performances peaked in the derby at Letná, where he unfortunately suffered a serious injury – a fractured fibula. Still, he made a fast recovery and returned in time for the end of the season.
In total, he recorded seven goals and four assists. He closed his Slavia chapter in style – winning the league title and lifting the championship trophy.
He was voted both Best Foreign Player and Breakthrough of the Season in the official LFA awards.
Next season, he will wear the colours of West Ham United, who finished 14th in the last Premier League campaign. He will join Slavia academy graduate Tomáš Souček, a West Ham player since 2020.
Malick, once again – thank you!
