Watford midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure has reportedly opened up on the links that speculated a move towards Chelsea in the January transfer window.
The 27-year-old midfielder has scored 16 times in 125 appearances since moving to Watford from French club Rennes back in 2016 and in that time he has established himself as a firm favorite among supporters at Vicarage Road putting in strong performances whenever called upon.
Doucoure has long been on the transfer list for Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain and the Frenchman’s displays have also been closely watched by English giants Manchester United and Chelsea in recent months. Blues manager Frank Lampard is particularly keen on signing Doucoure and reportedly failed with a last-ditch attempt to lure the Watford man at Stamford Bridge last month.
And amid the transfer speculation linking Doucoure to the top clubs in English football, the combative midfielder has claimed that it could ‘easily’ be his last season with the Hornets and has put the likes of Chelsea and United on red alert by underlining his desire to remain in England.
While speaking to reporters, Doucoure stated that he is interested to play in the Champions League and put his future at Vicarage Road under serious doubt, “If a big club manages to make an interesting offer for me, of course, the club will let me leave, easily, A club that plays in the Champions League is the goal, but I don’t have a particular one in mind. We’re little by little arriving at the end of the cycle. Maybe the club (Watford) has certain expectations for me, I don’t really know them yet, but I can still progress and still do good things, so if I were to change clubs, it would be to go up a level. I’m happy in the Premier League. I want to stay in the Premier League, that’s my main wish. Then we’ll see what’s on offer, or not, for me this summer.”
