In a recent tweet, renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano provided an update on Everton‘s pursuit of Watford midfielder Abdoulaye Doucouré this summer. Romano revealed that the Hornets powerhouse is eager to join the Toffees with the Liverpool Echo also adding that the Hertfordshire outfit are prepared to ask for a player on loan in exchange for their prized asset in this off-season.
James Rodriguez talks on 😉 same Doucouré wants to join but still not agreed between the two clubs
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 27, 2020
Doucoure’s Lacklustre Campaign At Vicarage Road
It was a season of significant frustrations for the French midfield ace in the last term after he struggled to discover consistency with his all-round contributions at the heart of the Watford midfield. Doucoure was involved in 39 matches for the Hornets in the previous campaign, scoring four goals and securing two assists in multiple competitions.
At least the 27-year-old refused to give up without a fight despite suffering the heartbreak of being relegated on the last day of the Premier League campaign. He did well to influence the game at both ends of the pitch as he averaged 1.7 tackles, 0.8 interceptions, 0.8 clearances, 1.6 shots, 1.0 key passes and 1.1 dribbles per 90 minutes in the English top-flight. Doucoure also deserves a pat on the back for completing 78.4% of his attempted passes despite being a part of a struggling Watford team in league football (stats via whoscored).
The former French U-21 international has proven his worth as a top-flight player, but the jury is still out on whether he can take his game to the next level if he can earn a move back to the Premier League this summer.
What Will The French Midfield Powerhouse Bring To Goodison Park?
Doucoure has a strong frame that helps him to overpower the opposition and dominate the midfield battle when he is playing well on the field. The talented Frenchman loves to get stuck in with a few tackles so that he can earn possession back for his side. He is not afraid to launch a powerful strike from long range but needs to improve his accuracy if he wants to score goals regularly from midfield.
Doucoure will bring some much-needed bite and steel to Carlo Ancelotti’s squad at Merseyside. One can argue that he will be a significant upgrade over most of the current midfielders at Goodison Park. The French midfield ace is more than capable of beating the likes of Gylfi Sigurdsson, Andre Gomes, Tom Davies and Fabian Delph in the race to secure a midfield berth in Ancelotti’s starting XI.
The former Ligue 1 midfield enforcer could even help the Merseyside outfit close the gap to the Premier League’s top-six teams in the upcoming campaign. However, it remains to be seen whether he can adjust to Ancelotti’s style of play quickly if he decides to make a switch to the north-west of England before the transfer window slams shut later this year.
