1 year ago
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Photo by Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images
It appears that the arrival of Wataru Endo won’t stop the Reds moving for Crystal Palace’s defensive midfielder.
The signing of veteran Japan international Wataru Endo from Stuttgart won’t stop Liverpool making a push to sign Cheick Doucouré from Crystal Palace, with the 23-year-old Malian international emerging as a viable target for the Reds in recent days.
That’s the latest scuttle in the land of transfer rumours, kicked off today by The Evening Standard’s Dom Smith and with the seriousness—and continuing nature of—Liverpool’s interest subsequently confirmed by club-connected journalists.
The mooted fee of around £58M lines up with rumours on Wednesday that Doucouré could be had for less than £60M, though reports earlier in the summer had suggested Palace would demand more than £70M to consider a sale of their key player.
Given the number being proposed and where it came from, though—which is to say, not a reporter with ties to Liverpool—if accurate it would likely come from the player’s camp and as such wouldn’t likely be a case of Liverpool posturing for negotiations.
Doucouré was Palace’s standout last year despite being tasked with an often thankless job as a pure destroyer in a struggling side, but previously with Lens in Ligue 1 he showed a more cultured side to his game that would bode well for Liverpool.
