View: Ex-Everton favourite is enjoying life in the Saudi Pro League

Abdoulaye Doucoure left Everton upon the expiration of his contract last summer, and has since been enjoying his football in the Saudi Pro League.

The 33-year-old midfielder first joined Everton all the way back in the summer of 2020, signing from Watford for a fee reported to have been worth around £20million at the time.

Over the next five years, the Malian international would become an important part of the Toffees’ team, never making fewer than 29 appearances in all competitions per season.

A box-to-box midfielder who had an eye for goal, Doucoure scored 21 times in 168 appearances for Everton, as well as chipping in with 15 assists.

However, after his contract expired at the end of the 2024-25 season, Doucoure left Everton and hit the free agent market as a result.

How is Abdoulaye Doucoure doing with Neom SC?

Doucoure’s Everton exit was an emotional one, as the central midfielder had become a hugely popular figure among the Toffees faithful.

However, with the now-33-year-old in the twilight of his career and with David Moyes perhaps knowing James Garner was in for a career campaign, it was an understandable decision by the Club’s decision-makers.

Spotting an opportunity to get a proven Premier League performer and veteran campaigner on their team, Saudi Pro League side Neom SC swooped in to secure his signature last August.

Reportedly penning a two-year contract with them, Doucoure has started nine of his 10 Pro League appearances this season, whilst also grabbing two assists.

As per Sofascore, he’s also recorded a passing accuracy of 90 per cent, with a 93 per cent accuracy inside his own half and an impressive 86 per cent pass success rate in the opposition half respectively.

Doucoure is also averaging 4.9 ball recoveries and 2.0 tackles won per game, showing that he’s still got the ability to get up and down the pitch despite being 33.

He’s also made zero errors leading to a single opposition shot or goal, and has also posted 0.6 interceptions per game and 0.5 shots blocked per 90 too.

Doucoure’s exit has allowed Garner to flourish this season

With Everton already having one evergreen midfielder in the form of Idrissa Gueye at 36, nobody would’ve blamed the Toffees for handing Doucoure a fresh contract extension.

However, the decision not to appears to have worked out best for both parties, with no regrets from either camp.

For Doucoure, it’s enabled him to get more regular football under his belt in the final years of his career, whilst the move to Saudi Arabia is also sure to have come with a healthy wage packet too.

Meanwhile for Everton, Doucoure’s absence has enabled Garner to step into an even larger role with more responsibility, and the 25-year-old has enjoyed the best season of his Everton, and indeed career as a whole, to date.

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