Everton boss Frank Lampard has landed a boost as Nottingham Forest are also now keen on a transfer for Abdoulaye Doucoure. They join Fulham with an interest in the midfielder.
That is according to the Daily Mail, which reports Everton might need to sell some of their fringe players in January. Lampard is eager to further improve his engine room during the mid-season market. But funds may be tight at Goodison Park without allowing some exits.
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Lampard paid LOSC Lille £33m to sign Amadou Onana and £2m to Paris Saint-Germain for Idrissa Gueye over the summer. Alex Iwobi has also stepped up with a centralised position this season. The trio’s prominent roles, however, have cost Doucoure in the pecking order.
Now, Nottingham Forest are interested in prising Doucoure away from Everton during the January transfer window. Reds boss Steve Cooper is exploring adding players with proven Premier League records. But he will also face competition from Fulham boss, Marco Silva.
Silva knows Doucoure well from the midfielder’s time under the Portuguese with Watford. Now, Sky Sports News reports the former Everton manager wants Fulham to secure a deal to be reunited with the 29-year-old. He has made strengthening his engine room a priority.
Nottingham Forest joining Fulham’s interest in Doucoure is a boost for Everton
Everton sacked Silva before his successor, Carlo Ancelotti, signed Doucoure from Watford for £20m in 2020. The two-cap Mali midfielder would dominate the Toffee’s engine room under the Italian. But his role under Lampard is a far cry from under the Real Madrid boss.
Lampard has only started the 6ft enforcer in two of his seven Premier League appearances so far this term. Doucoure has also only featured as a substitute in five of a possible eight games. He last started a top-flight match on August 13 before suffering a hamstring injury.
The issue Doucoure sustained at Aston Villa kept the midfielder out of four games, each of which Everton drew. He has since played a combined 58 minutes across five games with 29 minutes against Leicester City his most. He played less than 10 minutes on three occasions.
Lampard did start Doucoure against AFC Bournemouth in November as Everton lost 4-1 to crash out of the Carabao Cup. Now, he may look fondly on building interest in the Premier League from Fulham and Nottingham Forest to sell Doucoure in the January transfer sales.
Rival interest from the two promoted teams can also strengthen the Toffees’ asking price. Doucoure is out of contract in June, although his £75k-a-week terms also include an option to extend by one year. He is also a midfielder who has attracted lavish praise in the past.
“Doucoure is breaking down everything in that midfield,” Pat Nevin noted on BBC Radio 5 Live during a 4-2 win over Brighton & Hove Albion in 2020. “He’s been absolutely fantastic.
“He is having one of those games where you do question: ‘Are you playing as a defensive midfielder? Attacking midfielder?’ And actually, he’s doing both!”
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