Michael Brown has sung the praises of midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure as Everton close in on a deal for the Watford midfielder, as quoted by Football Insider.

The Toffees are reportedly willing to pay the energetic midfielder £120,000-a-week if he signs for the club and are eager to get him in under Carlo Ancelotti.

A player who brings power and quality on the ball, as well as being proven in the Premier League, it's perhaps no shock to see Watford being on the brink of losing him and, for Brown, he'll be a top addition for the Blues if they can seal a deal for him.

He explained:

“I think he’s a great player and I think he’ll be a great addition.

“When you go down, everybody tries to pick up your players and take them.

“You’ve got to say as a club going down into the Championship, ‘who can we keep hold of? How can we grow?’

“You say to them ‘give us a period of time to try and make sure that we’re coming back’ and that’s what they’ll all be doing to the players.

“£25m for a player who can control games is not a lot of money.”

Everton will be looking to challenge for Europe next season in the Premier League and signing Doucoure could be a step towards doing that.

He's a real force in the middle of the park and the sort of player Everton have lacked in recent seasons.

The Verdict

Doucoure is too good for the Championship in all honesty and should move back to the Premier League or a top European league.

Everton appear to be the side leading the race for him at the moment, though, and they'll be keen to get this one over the line as soon as they can.