Lens midfielder Cheick Doucoure
Crystal Palace are considering a summer move for Lens midfielder Cheick Doucoure, according to the BBC.
The Lowdown: Doucoure profiled
Doucoure, labelled as ‘incredibly complete’ by teammate Seko Fofana, is 22 years of age and already has eight caps for Mali under his belt.
How many signings do Palace need this summer?
0-2
3-5
6+
He’s been with Lens since 2018 and has racked up 128 appearances for the Ligue 1 side, scoring eight times and registering seven assists, mainly as a holding midfielder.
He can also play at centre-back, has just over two years left on his Lens contract and is currently at the top of his game with a career-high £9m Transfermarkt valuation.
The Latest: Palace interest
The BBC shared a story on Monday, name-checking Palace with an interest in former right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
The report added that Doucoure is also a target, with Patrick Vieira keen to bolster his midfield options ahead of his second season in charge.
The Verdict: Shrewd move?
Midfield does seem to be an area of the pitch where Palace could do with strengthening despite a positive first year under Vieira.
The Eagles look set to lose Conor Gallagher when he returns to Chelsea following his season-long loan spell, while the likes of Cheikhou Kouyate, James McArthur and Jeffrey Schlupp are all out of contract in the summer.
Therefore, bringing in a young talent like Doucoure, who has been ‘destroying everyone’ this season, could prove to be a wise move bot in the short and long run.
In other news: Palace also want winger who ‘gets people out of their seats’ in cheap deal.
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