‘Players will move until last minute’ says Quique amid confirmed midfielder interest

Watford have identified Abdoulaye Doucoure as the man to increase their midfield options and could be about to break their transfer record for the second time this summer to land the Frenchman.

Quique Sanchez Flores said last week the club were close to signing someone to provide depth to the holding midfield area – and sources with knowledge of the deal have confirmed that there is real substance to reports linking the 22-year-old with a move to Vicarage Road.

A fee of £8million has been mentioned but that would be a lot for a player uncapped at senior level by his country and who does not have 50 first-team appearances to his name. Chelsea were to be rumoured to be interested in the player, who progressed through the youth ranks at Rennes and made his debut for the club only three years ago, at the turn of the year and a fee of £4m was discussed. His valuation is likely to have since risen following a first call up to the France U21 side in March – he played 75 minutes of the 1-0 win over Belarus in a side captained by Kurt Zouma –and a goalscoring end to the Ligue 1 season with Rennes who finished ninth. Watford owner Gino Pozzo drives a hard bargain and usually insists on the fee and a player’s terms being heavily incentivised and success based.

Doucoure is represented by Mondial Sport who also look after the interests, among others, of Edison Cavani, Olivier Giroud, Coutinho and Nemanja Matic.

Etienne Capoue, who cost Watford £6m from Tottenham, should know all about his 22-year-old countryman who would add an extra dimension to the midfield and provide greater support to the forward players.

“I’m a deep-lying playmaker,” Doucoure said once in an interview. “I try to make the team more solid by helping win the ball, and then when we have the ball I look to get forward and get in to positions from where I can score goals and set them up.”

He scored three times for Rennes last season yet the two-part medical players undergo at Watford these days – the first part usually takes place in Harley Street – would, no doubt, assess the knee ligament injury he picked up two years ago.

His arrival would push Ben Watson, another of last season’s regulars, further down the pecking order.

“A new manager and new signings have come in,” said Watson last night. “It’s the Premier League and we are going to sign players. It’s the manager’s decision – not my decision. He signs the players and that’s that. We just keeping working and keep training and hopefully get a chance.”

Doucoure would take the number of foreigners on the club’s books to 22, leaving at least five to be loaned out or sold to avoid Watford being saddled with the wages of a disaffected player until the window reopens in January.

“During the week [a decision would be made],” said Sanchez Flores when asked when he plans to tell those not required they can leave. “Until the last day of the market players will be moving, not only at Watford. Players will move until the last minute. They market is always moving.”

“We have 30 players who want to play. They all want to stay in the squad, I can feel that. They are working hard and they respect Watford. They love the idea of staying at this club. I am happy with this situation.”

We list below the foreign players most at risk by the threat of the ruling that means you can only name 17 non home-grown players over the age of 21 in a Premier League squad. Five of these could well leave by the middle of next month when the loan window shuts.

Matej Vydra – If Watford’s valuation is met and a more suitable striker is found, then Vydra will be sold.

Almen Abdi – Still hard to believe his place is under threat but Middlesbrough wouldn’t send two scouts to watch him at Preston if he was not available.

Gabriele Angella – One fan said that he spoke to the Italian after Sunday’s game and that he told him he was leaving.

Joel Ekstrand – The club will wait until January before a decision is made on him as he’s still recovering from a bad knee injury and has no chance of playing Premier League football before Christmas.

Fernando Forestieri He has plenty of supporters and friends in the corridors of power at Vicarage Road but, crucially, Sanchez Flores doesn’t appear to be one of them. The club are hoping news of his availability will spark a bidding war.

Juan Carlos Paredes – Only signed a five-year contract last summer which shows why we shouldn’t read too much into long contracts being dished out. Hard to believe Sanchez Flores would trust him at right-back if anything happened to Allan Nyom so looks surplus to requirements.

Daniel Pudil – Will be sold if a buyer can be found.

Essaid Belkalem – Been asked to play in the Under-21s recently to show potential suitors he is free of last season’s injury problems.

Our previous transfer update explains the future of some of the above:

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