Exclusive:
Slavia Prague and Senegal’s 19-year-old left wing-back El Hadji Malick Diouf is the subject of huge interest from both the Premier League and Europe ahead of the January transfer window when he is sure to be one of the hottest young talents on the market
Nine Premier League clubs are showing interest in Slavia Prague wing-back El Hadji Malick Diouf.
The 19-year-old defensive sensation, who only joined the Czech side in a £2million deal from Norwegian outfit Tromso in January, is in line to switch clubs again this winter.
Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace and Brentford are among his long list of admirers but sources indicate “almost half of the Premier League ” have sent scouts to watch him in action in recent months.
Palace in particular are thought to be prioritising the signing of a new left-sided player for Oliver Glasner as the Eagles failed to land competition for Tyrick Mitchell during the summer transfer market, despite their best efforts.
Clubs from Spain, Germany and France are also in contention for left-wing back Diouf – not related to the former Liverpool, Bolton, Rangers and Leeds forward – as he has continued to excel in the spotlight amid widespread attention from potential suitors.
The Senegal international has shone in both Champions League qualifying and the Europa League group stages this season, scoring five goals and registering three assists in all competitions so far this term.
Slavia chief Jaroslav Tvrdik is targeting a Czech-record fee for the teenager. The current record is held by West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek following his reported £15million switch to east London in July 2020.
Diouf’s current contract in Prague runs until 2028 and does not contain a release clause.
Stanislav Tecl, who works in an upstairs role at Slavia assisting first-team operations, recently told Czech media: “Malick is a smart guy who knows anything can happen. He needs to get through the fall well and then we will talk about whether he will be willing to help us for another six months.”
Tecl also added that if Slavia were to lose the player in January, the ideal situation would be that he is loaned back to his current employers until the end of the season to assist his transition.
He explained: “That’s a dream scenario, but I can’t imagine it. If the one that Jaroslav Tvrdik wants to be the most expensive departure comes true, I don’t know if it will work out. When you buy a player for that kind of money, you won’t let him play anywhere for six months. It would be the best option for us of course but if it was me, I wouldn’t do it.”
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