Crystal Palace ‘set to beat Aston Villa in £15m race to sign Lens midfielder Cheick Doucoure after Patrick Vieira met with the player’s agents’
- Crystal Palace are reportedly closing in on the signing of Cheick Doucoure
- The Mali international, 22, has been checked out by boss Patrick Vieira
- Aston Villa were expected to make a fresh move for midfielder this sumer
Crystal Palace are reportedly closing in on the capture of £15million-rated Lens midfielder Cheick Doucoure.
The Mali international, 22, has been checked out by boss Patrick Vieira.
According to goal.com, Doucoure is a priority for the London club and Vieira recently met with the player’s agents.
Crystal Palace are reportedly closing in on the capture of Lens midfielder Cheick Doucoure.
Reports in France then claimed that the Premier League club had made a £10m bid for Doucoure, but Lens are holding out for a fee between €15m and €18m (£12.7m and £15.3m).
Vieira is keen to bolster his midfield options with Chelsea loanee Conor Gallagher expected to return to Stamford Bridge at the end of the season.
Aston Villa had held talks with the Ligue 1 club last summer and were expected to make a fresh move.
But Palace are now in pole position to sign Doucoure.
The Mali international, 22, has been checked out by boss Palace boss Patrick Vieira
Crystal Palace are also reportedly weighing up a move to bring former right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka back to the club on loan this summer.
The 24-year-old joined Manchester United from Palace in a £50million deal in the summer of 2019 but has struggled to become a regular under the likes of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick.
The defender has found himself in and out of the starting XI in recent weeks and his future is believed to be under threat with a summer exodus at Old Trafford on the horizon once new boss Erik ten Hag arrives.