Crystal Palace have made a €17 million bid for Cheick Doucoure, which dwarfs in the face of RC Lens’ demands of €25 million for the defensive midfielder.
Crystal Palace are taking the right steps towards securing their preferred defensive midfield target in Cheick Doucoure. According to Goal France journalist Marc Mechenoua, the London club have already made an offer worth €17 million, but RC Lens are holding out for €25 million.
Patrick Vieira took some bold decisions at the start of his tenure at Crystal Palace, which saw him drastically change the playing style and the club’s overall approach. In addition, his plans brought about a dramatic change in their transfer strategy.
Crystal Palace began their different approach by placing faith in young stars. As a result, Michael Olise, Jean-Phillipe Mateta, and Odsonne Edouard, among others, were brought in, and the club did well in the Frenchman’s first season.
In the current window, Vieira would like to continue the trend and bring in the necessary players to strengthen his roster further. The need for a new holding midfielder has been extensively discussed in the boardroom, and the Frenchman’s preferred target seems to be Cheick Doucoure.
The Lens midfielder enjoyed a good season in 2021/22 and has gathered admirers due to his performances for RC Lens. But it is Crystal Palace that the midfielder reportedly prefers as his next destination. Doucoure wants to be part of Vieira’s setup if reports are to be believed, and the Eagles have now launched a move for the 22-year-old Malian international.
Reports emerged that Crystal Palace were closing in on Doucoure and that a £15 million offer would suffice. But now, the update from Marc Mechenoua has claimed that the London side have made a €17 million offer for the midfielder, which is likely to be turned down by Lens.
Lens are demanding at least €25 million for Doucoure and know they can take advantage of the growing interest in the midfielder as they are aware that Crystal Palace have made the 22-year-old Malian their priority target. Vieira may look to bring Doucoure as a replacement for Cheikhou Kouyate or Luka Milivojevic, who could depart the club in this window.
Crystal Palace may look to return with another offer if their current bid worth €17 million is rejected out of hand. However, the question remains over how much higher are they willing to offer, as the London side will look to pay below Lens’ €25 million valuation.
