Ben Jacobs: Liverpool have ‘genuine’ interest in 23y/o who’d require a ‘significant’ transfer fee
Ben Jacobs has said that while Liverpool hold a ‘genuine’ interest in a move for Cheick Doucoure this summer, they’d need to part with ‘a significant sum’ to land him from Crystal Palace.
The Eagles midfielder has emerged as a transfer target for the Reds in recent days, with Neil Jones describing the 23-year-old as someone at whom the Anfield club are ‘looking’ (The Redmen TV).
However, the Mali international could cost as much as £70m, with the Selhurst Park outfit deeming that a fair price for him in the current market (Alex Howell).
Jacobs has said that Liverpool are genuinely interested in Doucoure but would have to pay a premium for him because Palace view him as a crucial player.
The journalist told GIVEMESPORT: “The Liverpool interest is genuine, but I think that Crystal Palace will only entertain offers for a significant sum because they signed the player from Lens last summer.
“Given that he is still relatively new at the club, any sale will be at a reasonably large fee because Crystal Palace still see Doucoure as being important.”
If Liverpool reap upwards of £50m from selling Jordan Henderson and Fabinho amid their proposed moves to Saudi Arabia, that should give them the financial muscle to seriously pursue a move for Doucoure.
An outlay of £70m still seems massive for someone who only cost Palace £21m a year ago (Sky Sports), but the Reds may believe it’s a price worth paying if they think the 23-year-old could be the ideal long-term successor to the Brazil international in the number 6 role.
The evidence from the Malian’s first campaign in England suggests that he might be a worthy candidate, with his average of 1.6 interceptions per Premier League game topped by just five players in the division (WhoScored), while he also won the Eagles’ Player of the Season award (cpfc.co.uk).
There are plenty of other names on Liverpool’s radar if they find Doucoure too expensive, but Jurgen Klopp will be desperate to avoid a situation whereby the transfer window closes and they haven’t adequately replaced Fabinho and Henderson.
Some might wonder whether the Reds can afford to spend so much money on a defensive midfielder of the Palace powerhouse’s ilk, but the question might soon turn to whether we can afford not to do so.
#Ep82 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Who do Liverpool replace Henderson & Fabinho with?
The post Ben Jacobs: Liverpool have ‘genuine’ interest in 23y/o who’d require a ‘significant’ transfer fee appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.