Nottingham Forest join Abdoulaye Doucoure race as Everton contract runs down
Nottingham Forest are now in the hunt to sign Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure in January, according to the Daily Mail.
The Mali international is set to see his contract at Goodison Park end once the 2022-23 season has come to a close although the Toffees do have the option to extend it if they wish to.
Forest and Fulham are the two Premier League sides looking to take advantage of the 29-year-old’s situation on Merseyside and potentially get themselves a cut-price January deal.
Doucoure has not started many games for Everton this season with Amadou Onana, Alex Iwobi and Idrissa Gana Gueye being the chosen trio by Frank Lampard.
As a result, his days at Finch Farm appear to be numbered despite being hailed as a “fantastic signing” by Carlo Ancelotti just months after he agreed to join the club [TEAMtalk].
Cash in
Unless Lampard has some kind of trick up his sleeve in the next few weeks, Everton had may as well sell Doucoure while they can still get some cash for him, even if it doesn’t match the £25million they spent in 2020.
The midfield trio of Gueye, Iwobi and Onana has been working very well so far this season despite the Toffees’ precarious Premier League position and it shouldn’t be messed with if at all possible.
Injuries and suspension can cause issues but James Garner is still there, waiting to get a proper chance and he is certainly ahead of Doucoure in the pecking order.
He doesn’t want to be fifth choice anywhere so if Forest or Fulham are willing to pay the price then they should be given the chance to talk to him and get his take.
A few million in the bank could fund that one magical loan deal that drags Everton away from the drop zone and into the safety blanket of mid-table obscurity.