da aviator aposta： According to reports in the Daily Mail, Tottenham Hotspur are set to make a summer swoop for Watford midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure after manager Mauricio Pochettino watched him in action in his side’s 4-1 win against Chelsea at Vicarage Road on Monday night.
What’s the word, then?
da cassino： Well, the Frenchman has been one of the Hornets’ standout players this season and he impressed once again against the Premier League holders by assisting the last two goals in the 4-1 success.
The Daily Mail says that Pochettino was left impressed with what he saw of the 25-year-old midfielder, although he will have to pay more than the £20m Watford received when they sold Odion Ighalo Changchun Yatai last year given the player’s contract doesn’t run out until 2020, with the Hertfordshire-based outfit also keen to tie him down to a new deal worth more than £60,000-a-week.
The report adds that Spurs could face competition for Doucoure’s signature from Premier League rivals Arsenal and Liverpool, who are also keeping tabs on the midfielder.
How good has Doucoure been this season?
He has been excellent in the middle of the park.
The 25-year-old has scored seven goals and provided a further three assists in 25 Premier League appearances from both central and defensive midfield positions, and he has often highlighted his ability as a box-to-box player.
According to WhoScored.com, the Frenchman has made 29 key passes in those 25 top flight outings, while he has successfully completed 27 of the 33 dribbles he has attempted and made 39 interceptions.
Would he be a good signing for Tottenham?
He certainly would be.
Pochettino will be beginning to look for a long-term replacement for Mousa Dembele soon and Doucoure could well fit the bill.
The 25-year-old is decent on the ball, strong and can pick a pass, while his energy and ability to get up and down the field mean that he has a3 huge impact at both ends of the pitch.
Given the quality that he has, Tottenham would certainly be keen to wrap up a deal for the Frenchman if they could get him for less than the £30m they paid Newcastle United to sign Moussa Sissoko in 2016, although Arsenal and Liverpool may have something to say about that.