Crystal Palace close to finalising Cheick Doucouré deal with €26m fee agreed | OneFootball

As reported by , Crystal Palace are closing in on the signing of Lens midfielder Cheick Doucouré.

A fee of €21m plus €5m in bonuses has been agreed for the Malian international and negotiations are now down to the final details of the move, say the outlet. Palace have upped their offer to meet Lens’ demands, after a €17m initial bid fell short last week.

Doucouré already has had a contract agreement in place with the London side after appearing 34 times for the Ligue 1 club this season. The 22-year-old, alongside Seko Fofana, formed a crucial partnership in the heart of the Lens midfield as they narrowly missed out on securing European football for next season, finishing seventh in France.

Lens are in no need to sell one of their stars of the 2021/22 season, as Doucouré’s contract deal runs through until 2024, but this €26m agreement looks to have persuaded the northern club to part with the defensive midfielder this summer.