[SOLD] Abdoulaye Doucoure

Would he join us ? Wouldn't he have bigger suitors than us ? That is the issue we will face if we sell Doucs. We can all list quality players but they may not want to join us. Selling a £50m player is the easy bit. Signing a quality replacement for £25m may well be harder for us.

 

They may not join us. But we should be in the market for them. I’d have said similar things about Deleofeu, Chalobah and Pereyra before they all signed. Loftus-Cheek would be leaving Chelsea to get more 1st team football. I accept Palace would head the queue but I’d like to think we’d be in the conversation should he become available.

 

Didn’t know what RLC stood for but that miserable old git sorted that for me.

 

Bigger suitors & would struggle to be as influential for us as Doucs.

Poor deal for us from both ends of the equation.

 

Based on what?

An argument like that is quite easy to pull apart...

Doucoure’s influence for us waned in the second half of the season. Granted he was our best player but he almost won’t POTS by default at the end. He’s a good player who is like to keep but RLC was influential for Palace last season so you can’t be certain he’d struggle. He may well thrive in a team including his mate Chalobah.

As for bigger suitors - who would they be? When I look around the PL - I see the Top 6: Given he would be leaving Chelsea to get regular 1st team football, which of the other 5 Top teams will give him regular weekly games? Then you’d factor in the bigger teams who aren’t in the Top 6 - Everton and West Ham? Maybe Everton would show an interest but they have a myriad of midfielders who they need to offload first and seem to be struggling with. West Ham have already recruited heavily in midfield. Leicester have bigger funds than us but I’m not sure I’d argue they are a bigger pull to a player like RLC at the moment especially when you factor in he might like to stay in London. Newcastle are a bigger club but funds are clearly an issue there for them.

If he was available and we are looking to add numbers in midfield or replace Doucoure at some stage this summer, is put Palace at the head of the queue and we really should fancy our chances behind that.

 

Oh go on then,I'll do it...
Morris Minor?

 

Must be an interesting family..."younger brother"....Jody is about 40 now.

 

Modern families!

 

He's Frank Lampards assistant at Derby now no?

Younger brother must be peaking at late 30s in the Jupiler league...

 

His younger brother is out of this world, in fact he’s so good he plays in the Jupiter league

 

I set up the joke, yet you seem to be getting all the Likes for it...
Pah!

 

Harry's 50/50* split, lower?
*half time draw!

 

Sadly that’s how it works.

She’s the Deeney & you’re the Holebas.

 

No news is good news.

 

I really hope Doucoure stays for the season performs and earns a bigger move than Ricky and to one of europes big guns. Please not Everton not now we don't need the cash he don't need a side ways move. I think we've the players already to replace Ricky but to find a replacement for what Doucoure brings is to much to ask and looking at previous teams that have sold their best players it's not gone well

 

Never make comments about a lady's weight. It's just not polite.

lowerrous' dress sense is fair game, though.

 

According to Sky news headlines

Richarlison eyes Success at Everton

Rumour has it, that we will receive a bid in the region of 40 million for Isaac very soon!!!!

 

Observer suggesting his price tag is putting off potential bidders. http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sp...-asking-price-leaving-potential-suitors-wary/

Wonder how keen he is to stay put?

 

I’ve said it many times, he is the one player I 100% want us to keep. If he stays injury free he is our best player and crucial to our season. 45m just doesn’t sound exciting at all baring in mind the Richarlison deal.

 

Agreed. The money is irrelevant in many ways unless we have some really good quality players lined up to join. We can hiopefully cope without richie and strengthen other areas of the team. If we sell Doucs we would not be able to bring in a player of the same quality.

 

You get the feeling that a few sides will be in for him before the window closes.

The club know as well as we do that he's pretty irreplaceable. However if he wants to move, with his contract ticking down, then there may not be much we can do?

You imagine we've offered him a new deal by now, which I can only assume he's said no to

 

He may be waiting to see who comes in for him to see if he stays or goes.
There was a tweet from him a week or so ago which simply said "Wait and see" with a thoughtful face emoji.

I don't think he'd move to a side looking to push into European contention either, I think he wants an upgrade so would move to a side already there - not Burnley though!

 

Looks like they're putting him in the shop window.

 

My thought too.

I waffled on over in the Rodwell thread but you've put it far more succinctly!

 

45m is cheap. Should be 75m

He has previously said he would only go for an upgrade and in fact stated he would not disrespect Watford fans by moving to any club on the same level i.e. Everton. He would only go to a top top side.
He recently suggested he was staying for another season so I expect him to stay. we did offer him an improved contract which hasn't been declined but neither has it been signed in approx. 6 months.

 

If he's still a Watford player on 11 August I will tongue punch Harry the Hornet's fart locker in the centre circle before kick off.

He's gone.

 

"The Watford Observer understands...."

Translation:

"The Watford Observer read on Mumsnet, but continues to pretend that they have even the slightest idea what's going on"

 

He’s good and he’s had a great 18 months for us. But £75m?! I often wonder what planet some of our fans are on.

He hasn’t previously said he would only upgrade and the ‘disrespect’ comment was a made up rumour on Twitter.

When you see Keita, Fabinho, Jorginho, Fred all going for around £50m, I’d say we’d be doing well to get £45m for Doucoure given his fairly modest acheivements so far by comparison. Don’t let the Richarlison fee cloud what you think we should get for Doucoure as everyone knows Everton overpaid.

 

45m wouldn’t buy the third pube from the right on his left ball bag .

 

The reason is twofold. Firstly the price of a far inferior player was £45 million and secondly he's bloody good. He did the business regularly against top opposition, with quality players around him he'd be immense.
£45 - 50 million is cheap.

 

He isn’t worth 45 million, but then again doesn’t mean someone desperate wouldn’t pay it , however would think it more likely for him to go in the January window rather than now

Rational is that time is running out for this window , there are only 6 clubs in the uk that could afford him , Man City and Liverpool seem to have done their business , Man U seem to be moaning about not being able to do business , Tottenham don’t seem keen on signing anybody. But I could see either Arsenal or Chelsea being keen if the 1st half the season doesn’t go the new manangers way

 

Didn’t you promise to do this in some previous season with some earlier player?

Capoue?

Gareth Andrews?

Skilly Williams?

We’re almost always on hols for the first game.

 

Is there a market for an Doucoure advent calendar counting down to Aug 9 or whenever it closes?

Smaller opportunity than the Vydra count up calendar to when he rerejoins.

 

Context though. £75m would make him the joint 10th most expensive player EVER. On the back of 18 months of good form for Watford. And even that form was sketchy towards the back end of last season.

I am not questioning what anyone says about his abilities and I agree. But looking at the market, and what other CM’s who have done more than him in the game (CL appearances, competing for titles, international recognition) are going for, then £45m is about right.

 

Chelse and Arsenal are already heavily stocked in CM.

Everton and WHU could afford him as we know what their owners are like. But I really think it’s Spurs or nowhere unless a PSG or similar showed unlikely interest.