Abdoulaye Doucoure contract claim made on talkSPORT in Everton win v Fulham
Abdoulaye Doucoure started what could be one of his last games at Everton against Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday.
The midfielder was in David Moyes’ starting lineup at Craven Cottage, with the Toffees beating the hosts 3-1 after goals from Vitalii Mykolenko, Michael Keane and Beto.
Marco Silva’s team were dominant for most of the first half, and took the lead through Raul Jimenez, with Jordan Pickford fuming in West London during the opening 45 minutes.
The Merseyside outfit turned things around after the break, and Doucoure, whose contract expires at the end of the season, played his part.
Everton assist v Fulham to help Doucoure in contract negotiations
Doucoure’s assist for Mykolenko’s goal may help him during contract negotiations with the Blues.
Perry Groves doesn’t feel the Mali international did much to get the assist, but it will go on his record.
| Competition | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Premier League | 31 | 3 | 2 |
The ex-Arsenal forward agreed when talkSPORT presenter Chris Latchem suggested it could potentially aid the 32-year-old midfielder during talks for fresh terms.
Speaking on talkSPORT 2 (10 May, 15:54), Groves said: “By the way, from Doucoure, that’s not an assist. That’s going to go down as an assist. He just rolls it back to Mykolenko, so that goes on his assist.”
Latchem added: “Well, it helps his negotiations for a new contract, perhaps.”
Groves responded: “Exactly, yeah.”
Moyes could demand new Doucoure contract from TFG
Moyes has relied heavily on Doucoure since replacing Sean Dyche, but it remains to be seen whether The Friedkin Group (TFG) will offer him a new contract.
The Malian midfielder has provided energy in the Toffees’ engine room, playing in a more advanced position under the Scottish manager.
There’s no denying the 32-year-old’s importance under the former West Ham United boss, and he’ll arguably want him to stay beyond the current campaign.
Idrissa Gueye’s contract at Everton also expires soon, and the former Paris Saint-Germain star has been another key player in their recent success.
If the Scottish manager does lose two important midfielders before the start of next season, TFG will evidently need to make significant investments next summer.
Carlos Alcaraz should be signed permanently in the upcoming transfer window, and James Garner has shown he can be one of the cornerstones in the middle of the park.
It will be interesting to see whether Moyes will demand the Friedkins to hand Doucure a new contract soon.