Doucoure might not be finished at Everton yet as contract twist emerges
Abdoulaye Doucoure’s future at Everton still remains undecided as he enters the final few months of his contract at Goodison Park.
The attacking midfielder has been a regular feature for the Toffees this season for both David Moyes and Sean Dyche.
It has been reported over the last few days that Everton wouldn’t be activating their option to extend his contract by a year with that deadline now passed.
However, a new twist may have emerged.
Everton may look into renegotiating a deal for Doucoure
Everton have had a massive upturn in form lately with Moyes’ arrival giving them a massive boost of confidence.
When Dyche was in charge, the Merseyside outfit couldn’t string more than five passes together, never mind find the back of the net.
Recently, however, things have been going swimmingly in L4 with Doucoure seemingly settling into his first-team role more than ever before.
| Position | Team | Points |
| 13th | Tottenham | 33 |
| 14th | Manchester United | 33 |
| 15th | West Ham | 33 |
| 16th | Everton | 32 |
And, in a new report from The Athletic (7 March), an update has been shared on where Doucoure’s Everton future could lie.
“Everton would still be able to re-negotiate a new deal with Doucoure, one of the squad’s top earners, should they wish,” he wrote.
“But the developments also raise the prospect of him ending his near five-year association with the club this summer.
“The France-born Mali international has previously had interest from clubs in the Saudi Pro League.
“Doucoure is one of 15 Everton players out of contract at the end of this season, with veteran midfielder Idrissa Gueye and striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin two high-profile others.”
Moyes must avoid extending Doucoure’s stay
There’s no denying that Doucoure has been an integral part of Moyes’ set-up this term but that doesn’t mean he’s the best option for Everton going forward.
Dwight McNeil has been sidelined for most of the campaign and upon his return, it’s unlikely that there will be a place in the starting XI for the 32-year-old.
In addition to McNeil’s return, Carlos Alcaraz was brought in during the winter transfer window and with Everton having an option to buy the Argentine at the end of his loan deal, that’s yet another player likely to be in front of the veteran.
Indeed, only time will tell what the future holds for Doucoure but if he is offered an extension at Goodison Park, it has to be a deal that makes sense for all the involved parties.
Otherwise, Everton could use their limited funding on other players who could make more of a difference.
Which, after the purple patch of form they’re going through, is exactly what fans will want from their team when it comes to kick-starting the 2025/26 campaign when that comes around in the next few months.