According to a recent report from The London Evening Standard, Watford are hopeful that Abdoulaye Doucoure will remain at the club beyond the January deadline. The Frenchman made the move to Vicarage Road from Rennes back in the winter window of 2016 and has become a big hit at the Premier League outfit, to the point that Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain have been linked with a move for the midfielder this month (as per The London Evening Standard).
Yet a recent report from The London Evening Standard suggests that the Hornets are ‘increasingly confident’ that they will retain one of their most prized assets, and a recent report from L'Equipe that PSG are eyeing up a move for Everton’s Idrissa Gueye will only serve as even greater news for the Hertfordshire-based outfit.
The Breakdown
Ultimately, 29-year-old Gueye has been the main man in the Toffees midfield pretty much ever since he made the move to Goodison Park back in 2016, with the Senegal international appearing 94 times for the club since then, 86 of which coming in the Premier League.
And his fine efforts for Marco Silva’s side have reportedly (as per L'Equipe) attracted the interest of Thomas Tuchel’s PSG as they go in search of a midfield replacement for contract rebel Adrien Rabiot, with a report from L'Equipe earlier this week suggesting that they had launched a move for the Everton star.
And all that suggests that the French giants have turned their attentions away from Watford’s Doucoure this month, which must come as a huge boost to Javi Gracia and his side in their attempts to keep hold of the 26-year-old.
Ultimately, Doucoure has been something of a revelation since making the move to Watford back in January 2016, with the 26-year-old since then showing all the hallmarks that make up a hugely accomplished Premier League midfielder.
Be it getting forward and chipping in with goals and assists, having scored 11 times and laid on nine assists for the Hornets in 85 appearances, or indeed breaking up play and protecting the Watford backline with recurrent tackles and interceptions in the middle of the pitch, the former France youth international has it all.
And at the age of 26, Doucoure is only likely to get better the more football he plays, and with three goals and five assists already this term for Gracia’s high-flying Hornets, he is once again embarking on a very impressive Premier League season - clearly, there’s a reason PSG have been linked (as per The London Evening Standard) with a move for the midfielder.
Yet their reported interest in Gueye (as per L'Equipe) suggests that they may well be moving away from Doucoure this month towards other midfield targets, and while a recent report from France Football suggests that Everton will seek to replace Gueye with the Watford man if the former moves this month, the £50 million asking-price (as per The London Evening Standard) is likely to prove a thorn in the Toffees side, what with Silva admitting (as per The Liverpool Echo) this month that the finances simply aren’t there for incomings.
All this combines to provide some great news for Watford and their supporters, with it looking more likely by the day that Doucoure will remain a Hornet beyond the January 31 deadline.
Watford fans… what do you think? Let us know!