Liverpool believe they can sign Crystal Palace midfielder Cheick Doucoure for just £58m this summer, it has been reported, with Jurgen Klopp’s side having made the Ivorian their no.1 transfer target between now and the transfer window slamming shut on September 1st.
The Reds have been frustrated all summer in pursuit of a defensive midfielder, and have seen both their top targets join Chelsea in the last few days. Though they had agreed fees for both Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo, the pair opted to move to Chelsea rather than Anfield, leaving Klopp back to square one in their search for a defensive midfielder in the wake of Fabinho’s departure to Al-Ittihad.
They are in the final stages of a deal for Stuttgart midfielder Wataru Endo, but it is believed that they are still on the hunt for another option in the centre of the pitch.
Now they have identified Crystal Palace midfielder Cheick Doucoure as that man, and think that they will be able to sign him for less than the £58m Chelsea are paying for Romeo Lavia, according to the London Evening Standard.
Doucoure only arrived at Selhurst Park from Ligue 1 last summer, and was named Palace player of the season in his debut campaign. With the Eagles having already lost Wilfried Zaha for free and Michael Olise seemingly to Chelsea for £35m, they are unlikely to be willing to let another player leave for below their market value.
However, it is claimed that though Palace ‘are desperate to keep Doucoure’ and value him at £70m, the Reds ‘believe they can sign him for less than £58m’. For his part, though Doucoure is ‘open to a move to Liverpool, he is also content at Palace’, and is unlikely to push for the move.
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