There is now a good chance of Crystal Palace retaining midfielder Cheick Doucoure despite interest from Liverpool.
According to the Evening Standard, Crystal Palace are increasingly likely to keep hold of Cheick Doucoure.
The outlet claims that Liverpool have been put off by Palace’s £70m valuation of the 23-year-old and have no intention of making a formal offer for him.
The Reds recently signed Wataru Endo from Stuttgart, but Jurgen Klopp still looks to be in the market for a new midfielder after missing out on both Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, who are now at Chelsea.
However, it now seems unlikely that Doucoure will be the man who the German brings in.
Cheick Doucoure staying is a major boost
Roy Hodgson will be delighted if Palace manage to keep hold of Doucoure, which looks like the most likely outcome at this moment in time.
They lost Wilfried Zaha earlier in the summer, so to watch another important player like Doucoure depart would have been a huge setback, especially with it being so late in the transfer window. The south London club would have been scrambling around for a replacement.
Fortunately for Hodgson, though, it seems his bosses have done enough to deter Premier League rivals Liverpool.
At one point, it looked like Palace would have a terrible transfer window. However, while Zaha has departed, they have at least been able to get Michael Olise to stay and sign a new contract, and Doucoure will not be going anywhere either by the sound of things.
With the market not actually shut yet, anything can happen. But you would expect Palace to get to the other side now with Doucoure still on their books. Liverpool are clearly not interested in paying £70m for the Mali international, regardless of how much they need another midfielder.
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