What Bamba Dieng turned down at West Ham United, with fantastic bonus noted

West Ham United will be watching Bamba Dieng thinking about what could have been.

The Hammers were linked with the Senegal international earlier in the summer.

He was seen as a potential new striker option after facing relegation to the Championship.

The 26-year-old is coming off the back of a positive spell in Ligue 1 with Lorient and could have completed a London Stadium switch.

Nuno Espirito Santo is yet to add to his squad this summer as no new names have come in at Rush Green

That looks unlikely to start with Dieng, although the Irons may join in with what's been said about him now.

Bamba Dieng slammed as medical halts transfer

West Ham Zone covered interest in the ex-Lorient striker Dieng at the London Stadium earlier in the summer.

The claret and blue outfit were offered the chance to sign the attacker as he jetted out to the World Cup.

He is available as a free agent after refusing a new deal with Lorient.

A move to E20 never materialised and it had looked likely that Dieng would be joining Turkish side Amed SK.

Matteo Moretto reported that a deal was very advanced on 21 June, but a week later a deal has collapsed after the attacker failed his medical.

That hasn't gone down well in Senegal as local journalist Khadim Diakhate believes the striker should have moved to East London when he had the chance.

Taking to X on Monday, he said: "Shouldn't have turned down West Ham's offer at the end of the season. A good salary and a fantastic signing bonus, but alas."

That sums up how close the Hammers were to getting a deal done and appear to have dodged a bullet, despite what El Hadji Malick Diouf believes.

El Hadji Malick Diouf surely wanted Dieng at West Ham

With the forward failing his medical, it could be a stroke of luck that he seemingly turned the Hammers down.

If he had come in and been let down by his body, there would have been questions to answer at Rush Green.

There is the flip side argument considering how highly rated Dieng is.

West Ham man Diouf has compared the ex-Marseille man to Didier Drogba, proving how highly-rated he is.

Speaking in 2021, he said: "I knew him from the national youth team. He’s a striker, a Didier Drogba.

"All he knows how to do is score goals. He’s a young player with a bright future. The Senegalese national team may have found its great striker too."

Diouf would surely have loved to play with the 2000-born talent at club level, but won't get that chance now, it seems.