New Crystal Palace signing Cheick Doucoure 'victim of blackmail and extortion attempts'

New Crystal Palace midfielder Cheick Doucoure is a victim of blackmail and attempted extortion, his lawyer has claimed.

The 22-year-old last week joined Palace from Lens in a deal worth up to £22 million, and his lawyer has said he has since been targeted by “several individuals” who claim that the player has a double identity.

Alexis Rutman, Doucoure’s representative, said the player “will not give in” to these individuals, who he said are demanding money in return for their silence.

Patrick Vieira, the Palace manager, said he and the club are fully supporting their new signing, who has made five international appearances for Mali.

In a statement, Rutman said: “Since the announcement of his transfer from RC Lens to Crystal Palace, Mr Cheick Oumar Doucoure and his entourage have been victims of blackmail and attempted extortion by several individuals acting in concert (a football agent and a photographer, supported by a journalist), clearly enticed by the profits supposedly generated by this transaction.

“These individuals claim, with false evidence, that my client has a double identity and demand the payment of a sum of money in return for their silence. Several Whatsapp messages to this effect, accompanied by false documents, have thus been sent to my client and his entourage over the past few days.

“This situation is very serious and obviously unacceptable. My client and his entourage will not give in to such acts, which expose their perpetrators to severe criminal penalties.

“All appropriate legal actions will therefore be taken, both criminally and civilly, against these three individuals but also against all those who support, condone, relay, in any form whatsoever, such acts and/or such libellous accusations.”

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