Why Abdoulaye Doucoure to Everton would bolster their midfield
According to Daily Mail, Everton have inquired about the possibility of signing Watford star Abdoulaye Doucoure ahead of the new campaign.
The report suggests that Doucoure is set to leave Watford after the Hornets were relegated from the top-flight. He was a subject of a rejected £30m move last summer but could be on the move after failing to secure top-flight status with his side.
Profile
Born in France, Doucoure started his journey with Les Mureaux OFC before rising through the ranks of Rennes’ youth system. After 4 years and 95 appearances with the club’s senior set-up, he was signed by Watford in February 2016 and was immediately sent on loan to Granada.
Since his return to his parent club, Doucoure has established himself as a key player of the squad, making 141 appearances for the Hornets to date. In the process, he has managed to score 17 goals and 12 assists and has made an impact. He has gone from strength to strength in the last few years and thus, Everton should make a move for him.
Why Everton need Doucoure
Despite finishing 12th in the league standings, Carlo Ancelotti’s side have been inconsistent throughout the campaign. And one of the key reasons for their poor performance is the lack of stability in their midfield.
Andre Gomes was injured and he spent the majority of the 2019/20 campaign on the sidelines. In his absence, Tom Davies and Morgan Schneiderlin failed to live up to the expectations, with the latter eventually leaving last month. Gylfi Sigurdsson also managed just 2 goals and 2 assists in the league, leaving the midfield incompetent. Thus, a midfielder is a must in the summer.
In that regard, making a move for Doucoure seems to be sensible. The Frenchman has been in fine form in the last few years. He is capable of operating in an advanced role while also being adept defensively. He is one of the few good box-to-box midfielders in English football.
The 27-year-old also managed to score 4 goals this term after managing to rack up 5 goals in the previous campaign and 7 goals in the 2017/18 season. And this shows he could also provide the Toffees with some much-needed goals from the middle of the park, something which Everton have failed to do this season.
His inclusion would definitely bring quality to the squad, whilst also adding depth to their midfield contingent.
Read more
- Why Nikola Maksimovic to Everton would bolster their defence
- Why Everton should go all out to sign Gabriel Magalhaes from Lille
Verdict
With a lack of quality, it is clear that Everton are in dire need of central midfielders. Given Doucoure’s consistency in the last few years, he would add some quality and depth to Ancelotti’s squad. Thus, they should manage to lure the Frenchman to Goodison Park this summer and enhance their midfield.
