Former Lyon ace Eric Roy cannot believe Ligue 1 clubs are not challenging Crystal Palace for Cheick Doucoure as the midfielder closes in on a move to the Premier League, speaking to La Phoceen.
The so-called ‘League of Talents’ certainly lives up to that self-proclaimed moniker when it comes to talented, deep-lying midfielders.
Gini Wijnaldum cannot even get into the PSG team these days with the Idrissa Gueye, Leandro Paredes and masterful Marco Verratti ahead of him in Mauricio Pochettino’s pecking order.
Aurelien Tchouameni’s outstanding form at Monaco has paved the way for a £70 million move to Real Madrid, while it seems only a matter of time before Amadou Onana (Lille), Maxence Caqueret (Lyon) and Youssouf Fofana (Monaco) are also moving on to bigger things too.
But according to Roy, who represented Lyon, Marseille and Nice with distinction on both sides of the Millennium, a man on his way to Crystal Palace for around £15 million ranks among the very best French football has to offer.
Crystal Palace close in on Lens’ Cheick Doucoure
“For me, he is one of the best number sixes in front of the defence in Ligue 1,” Roy says of Mali international Doucoure.
“He has everything to evolve in this position; An extraordinary football IQ, a fantastic first touch, technical ability and he recovers a lot of balls. And beyond that, he’s a boy with a great mentality, who constantly wants to progress. With him, you can’t go wrong.”
Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira is reportedly ‘crazy’ about Doucoure, making the one-time Tottenham Hotspur target his number one summer target. Vieira will be thrilled to learn, then, that Palace have now agreed personal terms.
L’Equipe do point out, however, that Palace and Lens are yet to shake hands on a transfer fee.
“He has English clubs following him very closely. French clubs should wake up” says Roy, pointing out that the role Doucoure has played in enabling team-mate Seko Fofana’s transformation into arguably the finest midfielder in Ligue 1.
“We talk a lot about Fofana, and that’s normal. But without Doucoure’s work, we wouldn’t value him so highly. He is the one who provides the balance and wins the balls so Fofana can project himself.”
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