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Watford want Everton loan for Doucoure

By Matt Townsend

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 26: Abdoulaye Doucoure of Watford passe the ball with pressure from Granit Xhaka of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Watford FC at Emirates Stadium on July 26, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 26: Abdoulaye Doucoure of Watford passe the ball with pressure from Granit Xhaka of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Watford FC at Emirates Stadium on July 26, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) /
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Reports suggest Watford are set to ask Everton for a player on loan as part of any transfer deal for their midfielder Abdolaye Doucoure.

Everton have been tracking the Frenchman for a while now and according to recent reports had an initial offer for him turned down by the Hornets.

Now it appears Watford are willing to take a Blues player on loan as part of any deal. That sounds like a very good way forward to me.

Well where can we start? There are plenty of players in the Toffees squad I’d be very happy for Watford to take off the books!

Some of those names might be Tom Davies, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Theo Walcott, Yanick Bolasie, Bernard… Any of these players and more should and almost certainly would be available.

Given that the Blues have been linked with so many new midfielders, it should be crystal clear to the incumbents that many of them don’t have a long-term future at Everton anyway.

There are rumours the player though isn’t one of the many midfielders the Toffees want to ship out, but rather young centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite. I’d rather it wasn’t him to be honest, although perhaps a year of Championship football might really help his development.

This sort of player swap strategy does make a lot of sense for the Blues in their transfer dealings in this summer window.

Obviously though it isn’t always possible, but some sort of fee plus-a-player type deal would be a good way to get these high earners off the books and bring in new talent.

In fact another possible swap deal is being mooted for the Toffees young striker Moise Kean. The 20-year-old Italian hasn’t settled in England it seems and has struggled to make any impact in the Premier League.

As we report today, his former club Juventus are interested in taking him back, at least for a year, with Everton getting former Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey in return.

I’m not sure if this one is likely. Ramsey is a quality player and probably would be someone who could add goals and additional flair to the team. He has though, had a lot of injury problems and his wages are prohibitive so I doubt this one has legs.

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To be honest, in an ideal world, I’d actually rather get a fee for a players like Davies, Walcott and Sigurdsson if the club possibly can. Newcastle were apparently interested in signing Davies for as fee quoted at £12 million, but that story has died away so in all honesty it was probably nothing more than idle paper talk.

Also I’d be hopeful someone might pay money for Iceland international Sigurdsson. He could be a good buy for a one of the newly promoted teams for example, given his experience.

Like Davies he’s not a player most Blues fans would see having a future at Goodison Park but he has plenty of top flight experience and only a few seasons ago was still capable of contributing double figures in goals.

The Toffees wouldn’t get anything near what they paid for him of course, but he might bring in something like £10 million or so?

Anyway if the Hornets want any of the above then be all means lets make it happen. It would seem a very good way of Everton concluding a deal for a player that Carlo Ancelotti seems to want to bring in to provide that extra energy and dynamism in midfield.

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