Abdoulaye Doucouré has claimed he attracted interest from Leeds United, Sunderland and Burnley as his time at Everton came to an end.
Five years on from his £20m move to Merseyside from Watford, the midfielder saw his Everton contract expire in the summer.
He had been a key figure for the Toffees, racking up 166 appearances and scoring 21 goals.
The 32-year-old left Europe in August, sealing a switch to Saudi Pro League outfit SC Neom and penning a two-year deal.
However, it appears he could have stayed in England having supposedly attracted admiring glances from the Premier League’s three newly-promoted clubs.
Abdoulaye Doucoure left Everton in the summer after five years of service.placeholder image
Abdoulaye Doucoure left Everton in the summer after five years of service. | Carl Recine/Getty Images
Abdoulaye Doucouré claim
He told The Athletic: “Obviously, I knew my time would come to an end at some point because my wish was always to come to Saudi or the Middle East. And I knew they (Everton) were trying to bring new players.
“I had the proposition on the table from Everton but the offer from Saudi was much higher. I had a lot of interest from the Premier League.
“I had a huge proposal from Sunderland as I knew the manager (Regis Le Bris), my former academy coach in France, very well. I had some interest from Leeds and Burnley.
“But if I was staying in England, Everton was my priority. So I didn’t really give an answer to those teams.”
Abdoulaye Doucoure has faced Leeds United on a number of occasions over the years.placeholder image
Abdoulaye Doucoure has faced Leeds United on a number of occasions over the years. | TIM KEETON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Leeds United’s midfield additions
Doucouré would have added a wealth of experience to the Leeds ranks, but the Whites did manage to recruit a central midfielder familiar with England’s top flight.
Sean Longstaff was recruited from Newcastle United and has not taken long to settle into Daniel Farke’s squad.
He was brought on board to bolster the midfield alongside Anton Stach, a Germany international who was lured from Bundesliga side Hoffenheim.
The duo have been paired up in recent weeks, with captain Ethan Ampadu sitting behind them at the base of midfield. Ao Tanaka and Ilia Gruev, meanwhile, have had to settle for spots on the bench.