Abdoulaye Doucoure (Getty Images)
Abdoulaye Doucoure has been very clear about his future at Watford and made it even clearer a few days ago, revealing his ambitions to play in the Champions League (via Sky Sports). The central midfielder has been among the Hornet’s best players this season, having contributed to eight goals all season and has been a game-changer at times.
While losing him will be a big blow to their future plans, the club should get a considerable fee from any potential transfer, especially since PSG are involved. Thus, they will be able to get a suitable replacement for the 26-year-old probably even before he leaves. That said, here are three potential stars Watford can target.
The only reason why Jankto isn’t higher on this list is that he’s currently on loan at Sampdoria. Only 22, Jakub Jankto has a long long way to go in his career and the Czech Republic star has already made 145 appearances in the Serie A alone. A central midfielder by trade, Jankto’s dribbling ability and agility puts him a class apart from everyone else.
The Czech Republic star’s inconsistency has been his downfall but he more than makes up for it with a great technical side. A brilliant set-piece taker, the youngster is far from the finished product and will need time to help him adjust to the Premier League.
But if he does manage to do that, Watford will not only have a class act but a great replacement for Doucoure.
The Hornets have quite a lot of depth for a team outside the top six but that begins and ends with their midfield. From Tom Cleverley, Will Hughes, Nathaniel Chalobah, Etienne Capoue, Roberto Pereyra, and even Domingos Quina.
The 19-year-old joined the side from West Ham United over the summer, amid links to Barcelona, with the club eyeing him as a long term option. However, despite being only 19 years old, Quina has shown composure and maturity beyond his years, flourishing with the West Ham U23s.
Now at Watford, the youngster has already made an impact with 8 appearances so far and has surprisingly found the net twice, which includes a Premier League goal on his second start.
Now if Doucoure does end up leaving, Watford should look no further than the 19-year-old Portuguese star to replace him.
At 23, Cyprien has already made a name for himself as a key star at OGC Nice under French legend Patrick Vieira. The Frenchman has outdone even Mario Balotelli, becoming an un-droppable player for the Ligue 1 side, especially in Vieira’s midfield three. While he isn’t a clinical goal-scorer, the 23-year-old certainly knows where the net is.
Like Fulham star Jean Michael Seri, Wylan Cyprien is also a box-to-box midfielder with incredible stamina and technical acumen that allowed him to flourish under Lucien Favre. Furthermore, he is always looking for a way to move the ball forward in search of the goal.
That’s something Doucoure does well and the Premier League side could fill his void by signing Cyprien.
