Sky Sports pundit expects Abdoulaye Doucoure Everton exit amid Fulham and Nottingham Forest pursuits
Abdoulaye Doucouré looks to be headed for an Everton exit but the club might still need him before the end of the season, Kevin Campbell feels.
The Daily Mail reported on 22 December that recruitment-obsessed Nottingham Forest had joined Fulham in the race to sign the Malian international who has just six months left on his Toffees deal, although the Cottagers are now reportedly hesitating over his high wages [Evening Standard, 3 January].
Sky Sports pundit Campbell believes that the writing is on the wall for the midfielder to leave with his contract now as short as it is, but if a move doesn’t happen this month he could still be called upon in the second half of the campaign.
Speaking exclusively to Goodison News he said: “If he’s only got six months left and he hasn’t been renewed that doesn’t look good.
“Or it’s the player just biding his time and seeing what’s available at the end, so maybe that doesn’t happen in January, maybe things happen at the end of the season.
“But Doucouré’s a capable player, he’s a good player, and Everton will probably need him in the second half of the season.”
Doucouré is indeed a capable player so Frank Lampard has still been using him off the bench fairly regularly of late.
But the apparent reluctance at Fulham to sign the 30-year-old for Marco Silva because of his reported £120,000-a-week wages illustrates exactly why he is surely set to leave Goodison Park.
The Toffees can’t afford to pay players that much to sit on the bench and until a number of similarly expensive squad players are off the wage bill the manager will struggle to strengthen his side, so an exit feels inevitable sooner or later.