As Liverpool’s seemingly endless seek for a defensive midfielder continues, Cheick Doucoure has emerged as the most recent identify within the body.
The 23-year-old was reported as being on the Reds’ shortlist final month, having been Crystal Palace‘s Participant of the Season in 2022/23.
Makes an attempt to convey Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia to the membership have been thwarted by Chelsea, leaving the squad and not using a recognised No. 6 with the marketing campaign already underway.
More moderen stories have indicated that Liverpool are “stepping up” their pursuit of Doucoure, with simply over two weeks of the window remaining.
Let’s take a better have a look at the most recent identify on everyone’s lips.
Who’s Cheick Doucoure?
Age: 23
Peak: 5’11”
Nationality: Malian
Strengths: Tackling, passing, dribbling, interceptions
Cheick Doucoure solely joined Crystal Palace final summer season, the place he made 34 Premier League appearances following his arrival from Lens.
He was an ever-present within the Eagles’ aspect final season, resulting in his recognition on the membership’s end-of-season awards.
The midfielder additionally has 12 Mali caps to his identify and it’s due to this fact value remembering that he’ll be a part of the likes of Mohamed Salah on the Africa Cup of Nations, beginning in January.
Doucoure is superb at breaking apart play, registering 1.6 interceptions and a couple of.3 tackles per 90 minutes within the high flight final season as per WhoScored.
Liverpool discovered themselves open and uncovered all through the summer season and it was a pattern that continued within the second half towards Chelsea.
A specialist deep mendacity midfielder with Premier League expertise might be simply what the Reds are on the lookout for and Doucoure ticks plenty of these bins.
Professionals and cons
Doucoure is adept at clearing up hazard and might be an enormous asset from a defensive standpoint for Jurgen Klopp‘s aspect.
He recorded 1.4 clearances per league sport final season, in addition to chipping in with three assists within the different path.
For context, Lavia and Caicedo made 0.8 and 0.7 clearances per sport final season, with Lavia failing to notch an help and Caicedo making only one.
His Premier League expertise would undoubtedly be a profit in that he can be anticipated to hit the bottom operating because the aspect’s solely out-and-out No. 6.
The 23-year-old was the standout performer in 2022/23 he helped information Crystal Palalce to an Eleventh-placed end, one spot forward of Chelsea because it occurs!
Doucoure’s cross completion of 83.6% falls barely under that of Lavia and Caicedo, with the 2 missed targets registering 86.4% and 88.8% within the 2022/23 Premier League.
His 36.7 passes per sport additionally comes up nicely wanting Caicedo’s 59.7, though it’s value noting that Brighton completed sixth and usually noticed extra of the ball.
The place would he slot in?
A straightforward alternative so far as the supervisor is anxious!
The one gaping gap on the teamsheet has been the deep-lying function, which is able to both contain anchoring a midfield three or accompanying Trent Alexander-Arnold relying on system.
Liverpool’s ‘field’ midfield facilitated a run of seven straight wins in the direction of the tip of the marketing campaign and allowed Alexander-Arnold the liberty to precise himself additional up the pitch.
Doucoure would probably line as much as the left of the Reds’ No. 66 forward of the again line whereas being tasked with extinguishing fires ought to the opposition be heading in the direction of aim.
At Selhurst Park, the Malian has usually operated as a lone holding midfielder behind the likes of Eberechi Eze and Will Hughes.
Which means he’s greater than able to shouldering the majority of the defensive duty from the centre of the park.
Alexis Mac Allister performed within the function that may probably be reserved for Doucoure because the Reds took on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Whereas it was a powerful debut for the World Cup winner, it turned clear that the steadiness nonetheless wasn’t fairly proper and that his abilities can be higher served additional up the sector.
Liverpool want a defensive midfielder they usually want one shortly, with Doucoure’s first yr in England at a mid-table aspect hopefully standing him in good stead for a possible transfer to Anfield.
Whether or not the Reds make their transfer within the coming days stays to be seen, however the 23-year-old definitely appears to be like to be on the radar on the very least.
