Tottenham Reportedly Readying to Swoop for Highly Rated Watford Midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure
Tottenham are reportedly readying an offer for Watford's £25m-rated French midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure, as a possible replacement for the wantaway Mousa Dembele, according to Kick Off.
Doucoure, who joined Watford in 2016 from French side Stade Rennais, has been identified by Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino as a perfect replacement for Dembele.
During his first season in English football the 25-year-old Doucoure struggled, but last season he found remarkable form and won both the ‘Player of the Season’ and ‘Players’ Player of the Season’ awards at Watford.
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During his impressive 2017/18 Premier League season, the French midfielder scored seven times.
Playing most preferably in the engine room of midfield, Doucoure is noted for his abilities at winning the ball for his team and driving forward.
Similar to Dembele, the 25-year-old is known to relish the physical side of the game, having picked up 14 top-flight cautions during his time at Watford so far.
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However, while he offers Spurs the same combative edge that Dembele does, his attacking statistics last season far outweigh the Belgian international's.
Since August 2016, when Doucoure first arrived at Watford, the French midfielder has made 51 starts, compared to the 45 of Dembele in the same time period. He has also played nearly 700 more minutes of football, and has eight goals compared to the Belgian's one.
Dembele has wanted to leave Spurs this summer, and although reports suggest the player has snubbed a move to Inter, the player's exit from the London club is still widely expected.
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Doucoure would perfectly fill the hole left by Dembele's departure, and the player himself would likely be keen to move to Spurs.
The Frenchman will want to continue his good form in the hopes of muscling his way into French national team boss Didier Deschamps' post-World Cup plans. Playing Champions League football would certainly benefit that desire.
