Any initial doubts have been washed aside as Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores continues to impress at Vicarage Road.
The likes of Odion Ighalo and Troy Deeney have been celebrated enough this term, with the signing of Etienne Capoue proving to be another masterstroke.
Florez has helped craft a cosmopolitan aura around the place, playing solid football with a variety of nationalities and taking some big scalps this term. While that’s all well and good, the fact that the Hertfordshire outfit are seemingly already planning for the future will only excite their fans further.
Deadline day saw the reported club record arrival of teenage Rennes midfield sensation Abdoulaye Doucore.
He had been linked with a switch over the summer, as well as reportedly catching the eye of West Bromwich Albion. Though he was immediately loaned to Granada for the remainder of this current campaign, the 23-year old is certainly one to get excited about.
Here’s why…
GOOD TASTE
Doucore bases his game off both Abou Diaby and Yaya Toure. While the latter’s career path is certainly the one he’d rather follow, we can start to formulate some of idea as to his key traits.
A gifted athlete, the former French under-21 international brings strength and speed to the middle of the park.
VERSATILITY
Next year, Florez could have quite the conundrum as to where to deploy his new signing.
Though mostly naturally a box-to-box option, the player has also appeared in more holding roles for Rennes during his time in Ligue 1. Not only that, he even popped up on right-wing twice, as well as a centre-forward once.
GOALS
Ighalo and Deeney have been the stories of the season for Watford so far, though few others have been able to help out in that department often enough this term.
As you might expect from an attacking midfielder, Doucore pops up from time to time with a strike after one of his trademark surging runs.
While he’s not the finished article by any means, 12 goals and 13 assists in 75 Ligue 1 appearances is not bad going for a young player.
YOU’VE BEEN WATCHING HIM FOR A WHILE
Linked over the summer, Doucore has been on the club’s radar for a while now.
“We tried to do it [the deal] in the summer but it didn’t happen, which was more on the player’s part,” said sporting director Luke Dowling.
“But we were still watching him, still speaking to him, the club [Rennes] and the agent. We were aware of other clubs, bigger than Watford, trying to do it [the deal] and if we didn’t do it this window and then we’d lose out so that’s why we did it today.”
MENTAL STRENGTH
While the player is all but completely untested outside the French league currently, he has shown a distinct grit and determination that could suit him very well in the Premier League next term.
Shortly after breaking on to the scene with Rennes, Doucore suffered a serious cruciate knee ligament rupture and was ruled out for seven months.
Not to be too disheartened, he returned to first-team action back and better than ever and notched five goals in his comeback year.
