Watford midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure has suggested that he would prefer a move to Arsenal over Tottenham Hotspur, if he were to move to north London during this summer’s transfer window.
The 25-year-old has been one of the standout performers for the Hornets during the current campaign, and his showing has attracted interest from several high-profile clubs including Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.
In an exclusive interview with Telefoot, Doucoure was asked as to which of the north London rivals would he prefer to play for, and he replied: “Arsenal, because of Arsene Wenger.”
Arsenal have struggled in the central midfield department during the course of the season, with Wenger struggling to maintain a genuine partnership.
Aaron Ramsey has found himself injured in different stages of the campaign, and this has seen the likes of Granit Xhaka and Jack Wilshere feature in the centre of the park, though the former has come for plenty of criticism.
Xhaka has received stick for his lack of mobility while defending, and there have been calls to replace the Swiss international in the club’s ranks in the summer.
Doucoure has plyed his trade in both the holding midfield and central midfield roles this term, and his performances have been solid with an overall rating of 7.13 in comparison to Xhaka’s 6.92, as per whoscored.com.
The French footballer has also been in the goals with seven in 26 league games, and he has contributed a further two assists – both of which came in a 4-1 thumping of Chelsea earlier this month.
Doucoure’s preference is undoubtedly an advantage, but it will be interesting to see whether Wenger prefers a player of this mould, considering the midfielder is still relatively weak with the tackling attribute of his game.
