Crystal Palac’s summer transfer window looks set to be a busy one, with the club eager to give manager Patrick Vieira the tools he needs to continue on the success of the 2021/22 campaign.
The Eagles finished 12th in the Premier League and reached an FA Cup semi-final following significant investment in the playing squad last summer. Chairman Steve Parish and director of football Dougie Freedman oversaw the arrivals of Joachim Andersen, Marc Guehi, Michael Olise, Will Hughes and Odsonne Edouard for a combined fee of around £60million.
But with several first-team players out of contract this summer there is still more work to be done. Palace are hoping to add a midfielder to their ranks to fill the hole left by loanee Conor Gallagher, while there are also reinforcements needed in defence, specifically at right-back. And with the new Premier League season kicking off earlier than usual this year due to the winter World Cup in Qatar, the clock is ticking for Palace to sign new players.
READ MORE: Crystal Palace 'in talks' for £15m transfer as Patrick Vieira hopes to beat Spurs, Aston Villa
Heavily linked with a move to south London already this summer is Lens midfielder Cheick Doucoure. The 22-year-old has been a reported target for Tottenham and Aston Villa in the past but is said to have a strong admirer in Vieira, who could make him Palace’s first signing of the summer.
Doucoure is valued at £13million by the CIES Football Observatory and enjoyed a strong 2021/22 campaign in Ligue 1, helping Lens finish seventh in the table and racking up five goal contributions in 37 appearances. As per FBref, he also finished in the 92nd percentile for progressive carries by players in position over the last year, 91st for progressive passes and 82nd for interceptions.
“Cheick knows how to do everything on the pitch,” his Lens teammate and captain Seko Fofana said. “He works in the shadows and, for me, he is very important. He is incredibly complete. He’s one of the best players I’ve played with. He knows how to shoot from distance, how to pass, break the lines, dribble and defend.”
After months of speculation, Palace fans have now been handed a fresh hint that Doucoure could be on the move soon. The Mali international has been left out of his national team’s latest squad for June’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, with reports suggesting this was done to allow him time to make his transfer.
He would likely fit straight into Vieira’s starting XI in midfield where he often sits in the holding role for Lens. Palace have fielded Cheikhou Kouyate in this position most often this season, while Luka Milivojevic and Will Hughes have filled in there at times also. The latter will still be in the team fighting for a place next season, though both the futures of Kouyate (32) and Milivojevic (31) are uncertain, with Palace hesitant to offer long-term deals to players over 30.
