In a summer where Brentford haven't been shy of heavy investment, the club look set to mount another hefty bid. This time, for El Hadji Malick Diouf of West Ham for a fee of up to £40m. Nice to see money being spent, but is it really needed?
Much-needed reinforcement in a troubled position
Brentford have notoriously struggled in the left-back position as of late, with injuries and inconsistency being the story of the backline position.
An ACL injury and further complications have limited Rico Henry to just 35 Premier League appearances over the past 3 seasons. In addition to that, hamstring injuries and the rest have seen Aaron Hickey miss just shy of two years of action. Consequently, it has been the role of Keane Lewis-Potter to fill in at left-back for the majority of the last two seasons as Brentford have enjoyed back-to-back top-half finishes.
A terrific job done by the Yorkshireman, but the general feeling is that, if Brentford are to 'level up' and consistently challenge in the upper echelons of the Premier League, a natural, consistent, and high-quality left-back would be needed to challenge Lewis-Potter. It would bolster the squad in an area that has been problematic.
An impressive attacking threat
As Brentford look to develop into a more attack-minded side in preparation for their 6th consecutive season in the Premier League, a focus will, unsurprisingly, turn to pushing full-backs into more advanced areas of the pitch and into the final third.
With the aim being to incorporate full-backs into more attacking play, look no further than Diouf. The 21-year-old has already asserted his name as one of the most promising attacking full-backs around, being in the 85th percentile for assists, chances created, and successful crosses per 90 last season in a poor West Ham side that often struggled to create attacking plays.
This, of course, is brilliant news for Keith Andrews, who slowly but surely turned the tides last season. Early stages of last campaign showed a team that looked timid going forwards, which, with careful work across the course of the season, bloomed into a side that were much more appealing on the eye. With that in mind, Diouf will no doubt be welcomed by the squad due to his natural and energetic attacking mindset.
However, the £40m question
Should reports be accurate, Brentford look set to bid £40m for the young defender. This adds to the signings of Mamadou Sangaré (£40m+), Jaidon Anthony (£15m+), Jannik Schuster (£13m+) and Callum Wilson (free). If accepted, the signing of Diouf would take Brentford's summer spend to well over £100m. An unprecedented, yet very much needed summer investment.
Doubts are raised when any club spends 10's of millions on one asset, even more so when Brentford begin to drop heavy money. As a club known for spending wisely and staying within their financial bandwidth, seeing Brentford let the shackles off never fails to surprise a few.
After a big summer of incomings so far and the club, for once, looking to keep hold of all star players, close consideration over next moves must be made. Assessment is vital to determine whether or not Diouf is worth the money West Ham may potentially demand from the club.
In attacking situations, no notes from me. Exciting, and fully worth the spend. Concerns have been raised over Diouf's defensive abilities, however. In a West Ham side that saw themselves under the cosh regularly last season, cracks in Diouf's defensive ability were exposed. Particularly faulty in one-on-one scenarios last season, Diouf occasionally came unstuck and proved a weakness for the Hammers as they plummeted towards the Championship with the second-worst defensive record in the Premier League. Being in the bottom 15% of Premier League full-backs for successful tackles per 90 in a team often with their backs to the wall is a real indicator of his slight lapses in defensive concentration.
With close attention paid to improving defensive abilities, as seen with Lewis-Potter, who turned into a more comfortable-looking left-back, Diouf could soon become the complete, modern-day full-back. Add into the fold the strong, composed defensive players around him in the form of Yehor Yarmoliuk and Nathan Collins, and there is cover provided for any potential failings or poor positioning in individual situations.
£40m is an eye-watering amount of money for a player that doesn't seem like the full package as of yet. Despite shifts towards a more attacking style, Brentford are a side that are built on a rigid defensive structure, and playing out from there. Full-backs that excel when on the back foot were paramount to last season's success, and those foundations must be maintained.
Being just 21 years old, I think the club should be willing to take the leap and secure Diouf's signature before the impending September 1st deadline. Attackingly sharp, yet defensively raw. I think there's plenty of potential for this young man to become the complete player before too long.
If signed, patience is needed, but my word, there could be a serious player unlocked if given time to develop.
