Why Abdoulaye Doucoure would be a fantastic signing for Chelsea
Back in January, Daily Mirror had claimed that Chelsea were interested in signing Watford midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure. However, no deal materialized and he eventually stayed put at Vicarage Road.
Abdoulaye Doucoure, 26, has been a consistent performer for Watford over the last couple of seasons in the Premier League. He made 35 appearances in the Premier League last season, scoring five goals and providing six assists in the process for the Hornets.
The Frenchman has struggled to make a mark this season, however, with Watford rooted at the bottom of the table.
Meanwhile, Chelsea were unable to sign players during the past summer transfer window which forced Frank Lampard to utilize the club’s youth system.
He has since successfully blooded Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount into the first team. However, the Blues can now sign players again after having their transfer ban cut last week.
They need to sign a striker in January, with Olivier Giroud’s future uncertain (h/t The Sun). In addition to a new No. 9, Frank Lampard should also reinforce his midfield options.
Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic have done well this season and the pair started during Chelsea’s 2-1 victory against Lille on Tuesday night which saw the club progress to the last-16 of the Champions League. N’Golo Kante has missed some games due to injury but when fit, the Frenchman has been fantastic for Lampard’s side.
Even though Kovacic, Jorginho and Kante have lived up to the expectations of the Stamford Bridge faithful, there’s a clear lack of depth in the midfield area. An injury to either one of them could leave the Blues light in the middle of the park and Lampard should address that issue when the transfer window reopens.
In that regard, Abdoulaye Doucoure would be a smart addition to Chelsea’s ranks. Doucoure is an aggressive, tough-tackling and tenacious midfielder with a good passing range. He excels at doing the dirty work in the middle of the park.
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The Frenchman would make Chelsea more dynamic with his box-to-box playing style. In the video below, one can get a glimpse of Doucoure’s style of play and the qualities he could bring to the Blues if a move happens.
Verdict
A proven Premier League player, Doucoure would add both quality and depth to Chelsea’s midfield ranks. Having done really well for Watford over the last two seasons, it’s time for the former France Under-21 international to take the next big step in his career and a move to Lampard’s Blues would be the right one.