Enjoying a relatively quiet transfer window rumour wise, Abdoulaye Doucouré will now remain at Watford until the end of the season.
That was never really questioned, but once the 2019-20 season is over, there might be a number of clubs knocking on his door, which is when he’ll need to make a decision.
Often one of the better performers at Vicarage Road, the Frenchman has regained some confidence under Nigel Pearson, and showed exactly what he’s capable of doing from midfield with his goal against Brighton at the weekend.
Despite being happy at Watford, the 27-year-old hinted to Canal Plus in France that this summer might be the right time for him and the club to part ways if the right offer came along.
He said: “We’re little by little arriving at the end of a cycle. Maybe the club has certain expectations for me, I don’t really know them yet, but I can still progress and still do good things, so if I were to change clubs, it would be to go up a level.
“If a big club manages to make an interesting offer for me, of course the club will let me leave, easily. Clubs that play the Champions League are the goal, but I don’t have a particular one in mind. I’m happy in the Premier League. I want to stay in the Premier League, that’s my main wish. Then we’ll see what’s on offer, or not, for me this summer”.
Since arriving from Rennes for £10m in 2016, the midfielder has made 129 appearances for Watford, scoring 17 goals and assisting another 11.
Playing in a slightly more attacking role under Pearson, Doucouré is also hoping to one day put on a France shirt at the highest level after playing for each of their youth setups.
However, he admitted it’s getting ‘more and more complicated’, even if there’s ‘still time’.
Perhaps a move to a bigger club could help him?
