According to various reports in the media on Tuesday, Brentford are now set to complete the signing of West Ham United left back, El Hadji Malick Diouf.
Brentford have once again had another summer of making smart moves in the transfer window.
We have already seen the club bring in experienced striker Callum Wilson, whom scored seven goals in around 14 full 90's for relegated West Ham United last season, and scored against Birmingham City last night. We have also seen a club record signing in Mamadou Sangare, who already looks the part, and Jaidon Anthony from Burnley.
Well, it looks like there will be one more player coming in this summer. Indeed so, as various media outlets, including Santi Aouna, have stated that West Ham United left-back, El Hadji Malick Diouf, is set to join Brentford a fixed fee of £35m, plus a potential further £5m in add ons.
So, what is the thinking behind this signing, and how could he fit?
On the face of it, this signing may seem slightly overkill. We have seen Keane Lewis-Potter make the left back spot his own, and Rico Henry is fit again and was able to play 71 minutes against Birmingham.
Plus, the two footed Aaron Hickey is also able to play at left-back. So, do Keith Andrews' side really need another left-back?
Well, it is not as black and white as it may seem. Whilst it is encouraging that Henry is currently fit, you cannot rely on his fitness, we all know that by now. As popular as he is, and rightly so, history tells us that he is not someone to trust to play regular games.
To a lesser extent, the same can be said about Hickey as well. He has missed a lot of games since joining in 2022, and he is going to be cover for Michael Kayode on the right side in any case.
So, the current depth to Lewis-Potter are two injury prone players, with one covering in another position too. So, one more option feels sensible, even if the deal is quite the outlay.
Another thing to consider is the possibility of Anthony playing on the right side. Though he started as a nominal left winger against Birmingham, he switched to the right side at half time, and all three of his assists came from the right.
Considering that Dango Ouattara is the only natural right winger at the club - of those trusted to play significant minutes - there is the possibility that we see Anthony there at times this season. In which case, an injury or lack of form for Kevin Schade could see Lewis-Potter moved up to his more out and out position, leaving a gap to fill at left-back.
So, overall, this feels like a sensible signing. It is a bit of a surprise that it is a deal for this sort of price, rather than perhaps looking at a cheaper 'gem' of sorts, but this shows that Brentford are very serious about having top class depth this season. It looks like the club are trying to seriously build a squad with (at least) two top players in each position, in preparation for a potential European campaign next season.
