One man’s misery, as they say, is another’s fortune. And, as Abdoulaye Doucoure replaced the stricken Alex Iwobi in the second-half during Everton’s 3-1 FA Cup defeat to Manchester United on Friday night, an eye-catching cameo performance could pave the way for an olive branch to fall squarely into the Malian’s lap.
Everton went into the January window listening to offers for Doucoure; a £25 million signing from Watford in the summer of 2019. And one of the club’s highest earners on a reported £120,000-a-week (Spotrac).
Wages which appear to have put the buffers on a potential move to Fulham (90Min).
But, with Iwobi set to miss around a month of action, Doucoure might just have been handed one last chance to make his mark under Frank Lampard. The former Vicarage Road favourite has started just two Premier League games since the arrival of Amadou Onana and Idrissa Gana Gueye, but now finds himself with a rare opportunity ahead of Saturday’s relegation six pointer with bottom-of-the-table Southampton.
“We hope it’s not too serious (for Iwobi),” Lampard tells the Everton website. “It is an ankle ligament injury. We hope it’s a lesser one.”
Nottingham Forest and Fulham like Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure
Pick up where he left off at Old Trafford – Doucoure’s driving runs from deep causing Erik ten Hag’s side their fair share of problems on the counter – and the France-born 30-year-old could be in line for an unexpected career revival not seen in this part of the world since Paul McCartney teemed up with Rihanna and Kanye West.
Nottingham Forest added Doucoure to a collection of targets longer than the Bayeux Tapestry in December (Daily Mail); a physical central midfielder at the top of Steve Cooper’s post-Christmas wishlist.
Like Fulham, however, Forest now appear to be prioritising younger, cheaper options. Talks to bring in Palmeira’s two-time Copa Libertadores champion Danilo – a player nearly a decade Doucoure’s junior – are underway (Danilo). The £22 million-rated Danilo would cost a lot more than Everton are likely to demand for Doucoure. Especially as his contract enters it’s final six months. But Danilo’s wage demands are lower, his potential much higher.
Doucoure’s situation at Everton is a reminder of how quickly things can change in the transfer market. A twist of Iwobi’s ankle, a shift in priorities at the City Ground; suddenly, and a man who appeared to have no future at Goodison Park may now be back in favour.
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