Cheick Doucoure might be the linchpin of Liverpool’s new midfield, and it appears that Crystal Palace will be forced to decide whether or not to accept our offer for his services.
As reported by Dom Smith and Nizaar Kinsella for The Evening Standard: ‘Palace are also desperate to keep defensive midfielder Cheick Doucoure.
‘The 23-year-old signed from Lens last summer and is wanted by Liverpool’.
If Jurgen Klopp has decided that the 23-year-old is the answer to his midfield quandary for the campaign ahead, then it looks like we’re going to have our work cut out in order to complete a deal.
If Roy Hodgson’s side are determined to keep hold of their man, then we’re likely going to bid a decent amount in order to prize him away from London before the summer comes to an end.
With Football Insider reporting that we would to field a bid of £70 million before they would even entertain parting with the Mali international, then we’re going to have to dip into our war chest of funds.
It seems that the Reds have a remaining budget of £99 million this summer and that would be a sizable chunk of that money, if we were to sign the club’s player of the season last year.
That should mean though that we can afford to complete the signing if the recruitment team are sure that the midfielder is the right man.
Time will tell on this one but it looks like we’re set to have a fight on our hands, in the closing stage of the window.
