Sunderland, who had been credited with an interest in Diouf and reportedly had a bid rejected, have moved on. Sunderland have acquired Toulouse left-back Dayann Methalie to address their left-back issues.

West Ham have valued El Hadji Malick Diouf at £50 million. According to The Guardian, Sunderland have bid £40 million for Diouf, and West Ham are demanding an additional £10 million for his departure. A top transfer source contacted by Claret & Hugh has indicated that Diouf would be open to leaving West Ham. Nuno Espírito Santo wants Diouf to remain in his Championship squad.

Sunderland have submitted an offer for West Ham's 21-year-old Senegalese defender, El Hadji Malick Diouf. Premier League side Brentford are also pursuing the defender and have made a £40 million bid for the player. According to Senegalese journalist Khadim Diakhate, who writes for DSports, the Championship club rejected Sunderland's offer as it was below their £50 million valuation. The journalist also suggested that a deal might be possible for a fee between £40 million and £45 million. Diouf has 23 caps and one goal for Senegal, joined West Ham in July 2025, and is under contract until 2030. His current Transfermarkt market value is €28.00m.