Brentford have reached a verbal agreement with West Ham United to sign defender El Hadji Malick Diouf in a deal worth up to £40m, with the 21-year-old cleared to undergo a medical.

The Senegal left-back will cost an initial £35m, with a further £5m available in add-ons. The transfer would represent a significant profit for West Ham, who signed Diouf from Slavia Prague just 12 months ago for £19m.

A return to the Premier League

Diouf's move to Brentford would see him return to the top flight after suffering relegation with West Ham last season. The Hammers finished 18th and dropped into the Championship, where Diouf featured in their opening match against Burnley before being left out of the squad for their past two fixtures.

He made 34 appearances for West Ham last season, contributing five assists. His form earned him a place in the Senegal squad, and he went on to play four times at the World Cup this summer.

Brentford's fifth summer arrival

Diouf has been Brentford's top defensive target throughout this transfer window. Talks stalled earlier in the summer but were revived this week, leading to the verbal agreement now in place.

Should the deal be completed, Diouf would become Brentford's fifth signing of the summer, following the arrivals of striker Callum Wilson, midfielder Mamadou Sangare, centre-back Jannik Schuster, and winger Jaidon Anthony.

Brentford, who finished ninth under manager Keith Andrews last season — narrowly missing out on European football on goal difference — opened their campaign with a 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday. They face Leeds in their next league match on Sunday.