Football finance expert Kieran Maguire suspects that Abdoulaye Doucoure is in line for an Everton contract extension. 

The lowdown

The Toffees signed Doucoure from Watford ahead of the 2020/21 season for a fee of just under £20m. He has gone on to play 38 times for the club, scoring four goals and providing six assists (via Transfermarkt).

Carlo Ancelotti, the man who brought him to Goodison Park, hailed him as a 'complete midfielder'. He is currently thought to be pocketing £75,000 per week, placing him just inside the squad's top 10.

The latest

Doucoure initially signed a three-year deal when he joined the Blues, meaning Everton would be paying Watford around £6.65m per year. However, if they extend his contract, they will be able to pay the fee in smaller chunks over a longer period.

"We have got people like [Michael] Keane who has just extended his contract," Maguire told Football Insider. "Every time you extend a contract, you reduce the amortisation cost.

"They have done that with a few, and I suspect we are likely to see it with likes of Doucoure and others as well."

The verdict

We'll often hear when a new deal is handed out that a player is being rewarded for their performances, but clearly there are other motivations at play too.

Still, you'd think Everton fans would welcome the news of an extension. Doucoure seemed a coup when they snapped him up, and so he has proved, setting up two of their three goals against Burnley last night.

He should be a starter on Merseyside for a number of years yet.

In other news, Everton are set to revisit this move in January.