Skip to content

Watford wonder Doucoure: The ideal addition for admirer Arsenal

Tony Marshall / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Abdoulaye Doucoure has been one of Watford's bright spots this season, and naturally, that has attracted the interest of some of England's biggest clubs.

Doucoure admitted as much earlier in the week in a discussion with French program Telefoot. The Hornets midfielder was asked about the reported intrigue of Arsenal, Tottenham, and Liverpool, and the Frenchman took an unconventionally honest route in responding to said interest. "It's true that these clubs have expressed an attraction, but for now, I am at Watford, and the goal is to finish the season well and keep my club in the Premier League."

Of the three European hopefuls mentioned, Arsenal requires a player of Doucoure's savvy and ingenuity more than the other two, and with the Gunners likely to bolster an under-performing squad in the summer, in a spirit similar to the high-profile moves for Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, it's a marriage that makes sense for both parties.

A trial in persistence

"I’ve never given up on anything and I’ve always known how to be patient," Doucoure told the Guardian's Paul Doyle in November. It's a telling quote from the second-youngest of eight siblings, who was once hailed as one of Europe's next big things only to shrink into the near-obscurity of toiling at Rennes.

A star of France's Under-17 outfit alongside Paul Pogba before suffering a serious knee injury, Doucoure broke through with Les Rouges et Noirs' first team in 2013 before again tearing the cruciate ligaments in the same knee. It wasn't until the 2014-15 campaign that Doucoure re-established himself as a quality two-way midfielder whilst making 35 Ligue 1 appearances. Watford came calling following the season, but Doucoure and his pregnant wife were resistant to a move.

The Hornets finally got their man the following year, loaning Doucoure immediately to Granada, where the gazelle-like runner was used sparingly, making just 13 La Liga starts. He would return to Vicarage Road the following season, and naturally, Doucoure's patience was tested by the volcanic-hot start to the campaign by Etienne Capoue. The former Saint-Etienne midfield lurker bagged seven league goals in what seemed like an instant, and again, Doucoure was on the outside looking in.

"Being the second-youngest of eight children has helped," Doucoure admitted. "You get used to waiting your turn even if it’s just to have a go on the PlayStation. And you have to make sure you’re ready to take it when it comes. It’s the same in football."

A derserved rise to prominence

Doucoure, 25, has endured his share of struggles in reaching this point, but the elan with which the lanky midfielder plays is a symbol of a just rise to outstanding first-team anchor.

With Capoue running the show in the centre of Walter Mazzarri's midfield, Doucoure would not make his first Watford start until New Year's Day 2017. It was Doucoure's 24th birthday, and despite being on the wrong side of a 4-1 result, the slick passer left his mark. Marco Silva obviously noticed, and after being named Mazzari's successor at the start of the 2017-18 campaign, Doucoure has started all but one of the Hornets' 28 league matches, including Saturday's visit from Everton. Against the Toffees, Doucoure was as influential off the ball as he was on it, sitting deep whilst exhibiting a deft positional sense in a vital 1-0 victory.

It's been full-steam ahead since a goal and a Man of the Match performance against Liverpool the first week of the season. Able to play either in a withdrawn role or as a central attacking midfielder, Doucoure has been one of the Premier League's best players this season outside of the top six.

His seven goals lead the team, and his displays against England's biggest sides have been noteworthy, pairing the Liverpool result with world-class showings against Manchester United and in the 4-1 win over Chelsea the first week of February. Typically paired in a two-man midfield for SIlva's successor Javi Gracia's with either Tom Cleverley or return-to-form Capoue, Doucoure is a ball-winner who can break up a play and thread an incisive deep pass to spurn an attack.

Announce Abdoulaye

Those are attributes Arsenal has sorely missed and failed to replace since the exits of Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Silva, forcing the likes of Granit Xhaka and new Valencia man Francis Coquelin to perform duties they're not capable of. Doucoure may not be the traditional tough-tackling defensive midfielder that Gooners envision as a remedy to their problems, but without a ball-stopper in the team and long-pass savant Santi Cazorla perpetually injured, Doucoure would be a massive upgrade in the middle of the park. He's a tireless worker, runs with a purpose, and is technically adept.

Home in France on a sojourn from life on London's fringes at Watford, Doucoure's conversation with Telefoot was equal parts candid and eloquent. Quizzed about the three Premier League behemoths (7:15 mark) tabbing the midfielder for a summer switch, Doucoure was asked which he preferred.

"Arsenal, because of Arsene Wenger," a smiling Doucoure conceded. With or without Wenger, this is a move the Gunners would be wise to orchestrate.

Doucoure's a patient fella, he'll wait.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox