Liverpool told they will need to spend jaw-dropping £70m figure to land Premier League target
According to the latest reports, Liverpool will need to cough up over £70million in order to sign Crystal Palace midfielder Cheick Doucoure this summer.
As Liverpool are now expected to lose Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to clubs in Saudi Arabia, Jurgen Klopp is desperate to add to his midfield options.
The Reds have already signed the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, although they are now in need of some more defensive options.
A player like Doucoure would tick a lot of boxes for what Liverpool are currently looking for. The 23-year-old is coming off the back of an excellent individual campaign with Crystal Palace and he offers a great deal out of possession.
However, while Liverpool obviously rate Doucoure highly, they will surely be reluctant to meet Crystal Palace’s lofty asking price.
According to Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail, Crystal Palace value the midfielder around the £70m mark.
“Crystal Palace value Cheick Doucoure between £70m-£80m amid interest from Liverpool,” Mokbel explained on Twitter. “No club-to-club contact as yet but Palace and Doucoure aware of Liverpool’s initial interest.”
In the Premier League last season, Doucoure won an average of 2.3 tackles per game, which was more than the likes of Fabinho, Henderson, James Milner and Curtis Jones managed.
The 23-year-old is contracted with Palace until 2027 and so they are in a strong position to dictate his market value.
Roy Hodgson heaped the praise on the midfielder after an impressive debut season at Selhurst Park.
“He has been very influential,” Hodgson told reporters in May. “He’s one of those players that plays in a position which is a bit of a fulcrum of the attacking midfield play and defending midfield play.
“His positional sense, his ability to read the game, his technical ability, and the fact that he gets around the field so well [makes him influential]. I noticed he’s up there amongst people who’ve made the most interceptions, which is nice to see.”
Along with Doucoure, Liverpool are also considering a move for Southampton’s Romeo Lavia, although he won’t come cheap either.
Southampton are said to value Lavia at £50m and aren’t currently willing to budge on their asking price.