Abdoulaye Doucoure drops rare Everton stinker v West Ham United, behind-scenes transfer decision could be made
Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure is set to be rewarded with a new deal in the near future but his performance against West Ham United could force Sean Dyche into a behind-the-scenes transfer decision.
The Toffees returned to winning ways in the Premier League on Sunday (29 October) at the London Stadium when Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s piece of individual brilliance gave them another impressive away day 1-0 victory.
On a poignant day for the Merseyside club, striker Calvert-Lewin turned his marker with a clever flick before firing low into the bottom corner in their first game since the death of chairman Bill Kenwright.
Everton move five points clear of the relegation zone, climbing above Nottingham Forest – who lost 3-0 at Liverpool – on goal difference to sixth from bottom in the table.
Dyche will be delighted with the resilience and doggedness of his players on a tough away turf but will be slightly worried by the performance of Doucoure who is set to be handed with a new deal soon.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reported on Thursday (26 October) that Doucoure looked set to sign a two-year extension at Goodison Park.
A new deal is now in the final stages and an agreement is on the verge of being sealed.
However, in an article for BBC Sport on Friday (27 October), journalist Shamoon Hafez reported that Mali midfielder has had multiple offers from European clubs and it is not yet certain the Mali international will stay put, although it does look likely.
His future still isn’t guaranteed yet which means he could well be swayed by interest elsewhere but it seems like Dyche is on it to seal his future at Goodison Park after making the advanced midfield berth his own.
However, doubts still remain over whether Doucoure is the man to take the Toffees to the next level. Is he the creative threat they need to score more goals and drive them up the league? And his lack of creative influence at West Ham United was on show again.
As per SofaScore, the Malian picked up the joint-second worst score of any player on the pitch at 6.3/10 after losing 80% of his total duels, losing possession of the ball 19 times, missing one crucial chance to make it 2-0 in the second half, was dribbled past twice whilst recording one key pass.
Doucoure has indeed proven an unlikely hero for the Toffees this year, especially in their relegation escape in May but will be turning 31 on January 1st which means time is running out on him to compete at the elite level consistently.
Such performances as the one showcased on Sunday may not force Dyche into a state of real panic but it may be time for Everton to start planning for long-term contingencies with Doucoure not getting any younger.
If Everton are to match those lofty ambitions of potential new owners and usher in a new era with their new Bramley-Moore Dock development, they may well need a more stylistic and specialist advanced midfield player to drive them into it meaning Dyche will need to get his recruitment team behind the scenes to start searching for that elusive solution.
In other Everton news, Graeme Souness blasts Everton as “basket case” after recent developments.