New Crystal Palace signing Cheick Doucoure analysis, expert opinion, Conor Gallagher comparison and more

Crystal Palace have introduced Cheick Doucouré as their third summer season addition, signing the midfielder from RC Lens for a price of round 18m euros plus potential add-ons.

Welcome to Palace, Cheick Doucouré ❤️?#CPFC

— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) July 11, 2022

The 22-year-old Malian midfielder loved a robust season in Ligue 1, starring alongside Seko Fofana within the Lens engine room as his facet went on to complete seventh, simply 4 factors away from European soccer for this season.

However, for loads of Palace followers, pre-season would be the first probability they’ve to observe their new signing in motion, so what kind of participant have they really shelled out for?

Statistical evaluation

At 22-years-old, Doucouré has loads of time to be moulded into no matter Crystal Palace see match to show him into, however at Lens he primarily performed because the extra conservative choice in a midfield two.

For the attacking French facet, Doucouré was tasked with sitting deep, selecting the ball up from the again three and discovering both the wing-backs or his fellow midfielder Seko Fofana, who was given much more license to roam forwards.

Not like his teammate, nevertheless, Doucouré most popular to progress the ball along with his passing reasonably than by instantly carrying it himself, conserving his passing vary comparatively quick. Throughout final season, he averaged simply 0.79 dribbles per 90 minutes accomplished, whereas he was making an attempt over six “progressive passes” in the identical time interval.

Helped considerably by the type of play that Lens function with, Doucouré manages a whopping 4.89 tackles and interceptions per match, barely under the quantity put up by West Ham’s Declan Rice (5.06), and greater than Arsenal midfield Thomas Partey (3.9).

And Ligue 1 skilled Jeremy Smith believes that the Mali worldwide has all of the instruments to achieve the Premier League.

“He’s at all times been rated however he’s at all times gone a bit underneath the radar. He’s not an enormous title, however he’s nonetheless solely 22 years previous and he’s bought that have so I feel it’s a good transfer”, he advised 101. 

“Often there are slight points with focus and positioning however I feel that’s the sort of place the place you in all probability enhance that by expertise reasonably than anything. I feel he’s on an excellent studying curve.”

How does he examine to Gallagher?

In brief, they’re very completely different gamers. Conor Gallagher turned a fan favorite throughout his mortgage spell at Selhurst Park final summer season, along with his all-action type endearing himself to the south London devoted.

Doucouré might nicely accomplish that too, however in a really completely different method. He’s far much less prone to pop up with essential targets (he has simply 3 in 67 Ligue 1 appearances), whereas as talked about above he a lot prefers an essential go to a key dribble.

“I wouldn’t name him inventive”, Smith defined. “He’s an clever participant that’s going to unlock another person in order that that participant is then going to search out the important thing go.”

Cheick Doucoure’s profile courtesy of FB Ref

Gallagher, alternatively, was much more direct, and was given much more freedom than Doucouré is prone to be handed by Patrick Vieira. In truth, it might in all probability be extra apt to match the Chelsea man extra to Seko Fofana, Doucouré’s former teammate, than the Malian worldwide, with the Englishman firing off loads of photographs and doing most of his greatest work across the penalty space, as his touches within the field present.

As Smith explains, “He doesn’t appear to have that a lot curiosity in becoming a member of assaults or something like that, and I feel he might nonetheless be moulded into an out-and-out defensive midfielder or proceed in that extra box-to-box position.”

Conor Gallagher’s statistical profile (courtesy of fbref)

Doucouré might discover himself higher suited to a double pivot, and a deeper position than Gallagher, which can require one other physique additional ahead or a swap of system to accommodate him.

Nonetheless, Smith believes that altering his type of play shouldn’t be too troublesome for Doucouré, who has already performed in a number of programs together with the 3-at-the-back type that Lens function with.

“He has at occasions discovered himself enjoying alone in a 3-1-4-2, or he can play in a midfield two, so I feel he has already tailored to completely different programs”

In truth, Smith sees extra of former Brighton man Yves Bissouma in Doucouré than the makings of one other Gallagher.

“It would sound a lazy comparability simply because they’re each Malian however he’s a bit like Yves Bissouma in that for the time being his position is someplace between a defensive midfielder and a correct box-to-box”, he advised 101.

“I feel he has bought the power to push up just a little bit extra, however for the time being he’s displaying he can perform a little little bit of all the things, and it only a case of possibly him discovering one place that it’s.” 

Ought to Palace followers be excited?

Judging by the stats, and those that have watched him recurrently throughout final season’s Ligue 1 marketing campaign, it actually appears so.

“Doucouré is a high quality participant who I feel if he carries on bettering as he’s, he might make it in a prime 6 workforce”, our skilled claimed.

“You’ll be able to’t say for certain beforehand, however all the things about Doucouré says that he has bought the engine to have the ability to make it within the Premier League.”

If he does, Palace may have a prime participant on their fingers, and will nicely be preventing off curiosity from greater golf equipment inside a few years.

Learn extra:

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Man United ‘making headway’ in efforts to persuade Ronaldo to remain put

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Premier League desk

#	Workforce	MP	D	P
1	AFC Bournemouth	0	0	0
2	Arsenal FC	0	0	0
3	Aston Villa	0	0	0
4	Brentford FC	0	0	0
5	Brighton & Hove Albion	0	0	0
6	Chelsea FC	0	0	0
7	Crystal Palace	0	0	0
8	Everton FC	0	0	0
9	Fulham FC	0	0	0
10	Leeds United	0	0	0
11	Leicester Metropolis	0	0	0
12	Liverpool FC	0	0	0
13	Manchester Metropolis	0	0	0
14	Manchester United	0	0	0
15	Newcastle United	0	0	0
16	Nottingham Forest	0	0	0
17	Southampton FC	0	0	0
18	Tottenham Hotspur	0	0	0
19	West Ham United	0	0	0
20	Wolverhampton Wanderers	0	0	0

Participant	Workforce	Targets
Salah, Mohamed	Liverpool FC	23
Son, Heung Min	Tottenham Hotspur	23
Ronaldo, Cristiano	Manchester United	18
Kane, Harry	Tottenham Hotspur	17
Mane, Sadio	Liverpool FC	16
De Bruyne, Kevin	Manchester Metropolis	15
Jota, Diogo	Liverpool FC	15
Vardy, Jamie	Leicester Metropolis	15
Zaha, Wilfried	Crystal Palace	14
Sterling, Raheem	Manchester Metropolis	13
Bowen, Jarrod	West Ham United	12
Maddison, James	Leicester Metropolis	12
Toney, Ivan	Brentford FC	12
Mount, Mason	Chelsea FC	11
Saka, Bukayo	Arsenal FC	11
Mahrez, Riyad	Manchester Metropolis	11
Richarlison	Everton FC	11
Pukki, Teemu	Norwich Metropolis	11
Raphinha	Leeds United	11
Watkins, Ollie	Aston Villa	11

Participant	Workforce	Crimson Playing cards	Yellow Playing cards
Mings, Tyrone	Aston Villa	0	11
Xhaka, Granit	Arsenal FC	1	10
Tarkowski, James	Burnley FC	0	11
Firpo, Junior	Leeds United	0	11
Fernandes, Bruno	Manchester United	0	10
Gallagher, Conor	Crystal Palace	0	10
Brownhill, Josh	Burnley FC	0	10
Bednarek, Jan	Southampton FC	0	10
Bissouma, Yves	Brighton & Hove Albion	0	10
Moreno, Rodrigo	Leeds United	0	9
Neves, Ruben	Wolverhampton Wanderers	0	9
Romeu, Oriol	Southampton FC	0	9
Rudiger, Antonio	Chelsea FC	0	9
Mctominay, Scott	Manchester United	0	9
Salisu, Mohammed	Southampton FC	0	8
Ronaldo, Cristiano	Manchester United	0	8
Toney, Ivan	Brentford FC	0	8
Dennis, Emmanuel	Watford FC	0	7
Richarlison	Everton FC	0	8
Pogba, Paul	Manchester United	1	7

Participant	Workforce	Assists
Salah, Mohamed	Liverpool FC	13
Alexander-Arnold, Trent	Liverpool FC	12
Barnes, Harvey	Leicester Metropolis	11
Kane, Harry	Tottenham Hotspur	10
Bowen, Jarrod	West Ham United	10
Mount, Mason	Chelsea FC	10
Robertson, Andy	Liverpool FC	10
Maddison, James	Leicester Metropolis	9
James, Reece	Chelsea FC	9
Pogba, Paul	Manchester United	9
Cancelo, Joao	Manchester Metropolis	9
De Bruyne, Kevin	Manchester Metropolis	8
Jesus, Gabriel	Manchester Metropolis	8
Kulusevski, Dejan	Tottenham Hotspur	8
Son, Heung Min	Tottenham Hotspur	7
Saka, Bukayo	Arsenal FC	7
Antonio, Michail	West Ham United	7
Lacazette, Alexandre	Arsenal FC	7
Mbeumo, Bryan	Brentford FC	7
Fernandes, Bruno	Manchester United	6