Aston Villa are reportedly weighing up a £10 million bid for RC Lens defensive midfielder Cheick Doucoure this summer.
According to journalist Ekrem Konur, Aston Villa are in the market for Cheick Doucoure. The RC Lens midfielder has emerged as the latest target for the Premier League club, with manager Dean Smith interested in further improving his ranks in the middle of the park.
Aston Villa, in fact, are expected to come up with a £10 million bid in an attempt to prise Doucoure away from the Ligue 1 outfit. He could become the club’s sixth new signing and the first in midfield, where Smith is hoping to extend depth.
Villa’s pursuit of Doucoure comes right after the hefty financial injection created by the sale of Jack Grealish to Manchester City. The English international smashed Premier League’s transfer record by moving to the Etihad for a fee of £100 million.
The club has already roped in Emiliano Buendia and Leon Bailey to fill the void created by Grealish whilst bringing in Danny Ings to lead the new-look attacking unit. But in Cheick Doucoure, they could find themselves an able competitor for Douglas Luiz and Marvelous Nakamba in the holding midfield position.
A native of Bamako, in his home country of Mali, the 21-year-old has already made a name for himself in France by enjoying three successful seasons at Lens. Since joining the Ligue 1 club in 2018, the midfielder has almost made 100 competitive appearances, playing a vital role in their promotion to the top flight during the 2019/20 campaign.
Doucoure starred in Ligue 1 as well, emerging as an ever-present figure in the middle of the park with 34 league appearances. His contributions were critical in a dream season that saw Lens finish seventh in the league table under the leadership of Franck Haise.
The 21-year-old is now prepared to take the next step in his career by moving to the Premier League this summer. He could be a smart long-term investment for an Aston Villa side that has shown a lot of ambition in the market and are certainly capable of pushing for a place in Europe next season.
Doucoure is not the only remaining target for Aston Villa either, but the club may face stiff competition from Arsenal in pursuit of the Lens midfielder this summer.