Palace now closing in on 'incredible' 15 G/A gem, Freedman sees it as a major coup - report

Crystal Palace could soon agree a deal for Lens midfielder Cheick Doucoure after holding further talks with the French club. 

Palace are going in search of their first signing of the summer as they look to arm Patrick Vieira for his second season in charge.

They’re in the market for central midfield reinforcements, with Conor Gallagher headed back to Chelsea after his season-long loan move and Cheikhou Kouyate’s future uncertain following the expiry of his contract.

Doucoure played most of his football last season just in front of the defence as a no. 6, but he can also operate in a more advanced role in the middle of the park.

He joined Lens from Malian football club AS Real Bamako in February 2018 and has gone to make 131 appearances for the club, including 34 (33 starts) in the league last season.

The 22-year-old has two left years on his contract with the upper-mid table outfit and is valued at £13.5million by Transfermarkt.

The Daily Mail’s Simon Jones reports that ‘a deal is thought to be close’ after a fresh round of negotiations between the two sides.

Vieira knows Doucoure from his time as a manager in Ligue 1 with Nice and is confident that he’s well-suited to English football.

Steve Parish, Dougie Freedman and Co would apparently regard the signing as a major coup, should they successfully complete it.

Doucoure isn’t necessarily a midfielder who will score goals or provide assists – he’s only managed 15 G/A at Lens – though he does rank in the 75th percentile among positional peers in the top five leagues for shot-creating actions, so you would say he still makes a noticeable attacking contribution (via FBRef).

His main strengths are his ability to progress the ball through passing and carrying (he ranks in the