Watford’s Abdoulaye Doucoure appears to be in demand ahead of the summer transfer window.
Watford midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure has told SOFOOT in France that Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are ‘interesting clubs’ as both teams seemingly battle for his signature.
Doucoure, 25, joined Watford from Rennes back in the summer of 2016, and whilst he spent time out on loan with sister club Granada, he spent the second half of last season in England before becoming a star this term.
The Frenchman has hit seven goals from midfield this season and also notched two assists, serving as the driving force in the Watford midfield having impressed both going forward and defensively.
However, much like teammate Richarlison, his impressive displays at Vicarage Road have sparked major interest, with the Daily Mail recently claiming that Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are all keen to sign him this summer.
Doucoure confirmed the rumours earlier this week, as quoted by The Mirror, and suggested that if he could join any of the trio, it would be Arsenal due to the influence of manager Arsene Wenger.
Intriguingly though, Doucoure has now looked to bring Tottenham back into play after hailing their rivals, seemingly leaving himself open to a move to Mauricio Pochettino’s side as well.
Speaking to SOFOOT in his native France, Doucoure has noted that he wasn’t ready to join Watford in 2015 so waited an extra year, but would have signed immediately for Arsenal and Spurs, noting that they are ’emblematic’ clubs and praised Tottenham’s results in recent years.
Doucoure added that they are both interesting clubs right now and he will see what happens in the summer, but he does have ambitions of playing for a ‘very big club’ one day and will focus on Watford for now.
“I was not yet ready to go to Watford, especially because my wife was pregnant, but also because the club had just started in the Premier League and I wanted to have some certainty about the club,” said Doucoure. “Today, I made the right choice, because I owe a lot to Watford who brought me to light. But it’s clear that when Tottenham or Arsenal come knocking at your door, it’s much harder to refuse. These are two emblematic clubs that have an important history, Arsène Wenger is a great coach, Tottenham has very good results for several years.”
“These are interesting clubs for any player, I think. Of course, if they are interested in me, it will only be beneficial for me, and at the end of the season we will see what is best. I have ambition, and especially that of playing in a very big club one day. Today, I focus on my season in Watford and we will see what happens at the end of the season,” he added.
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