'Be happy if I leave the club' - Everton player confirms he will refuse wage cut to sign new contract

Abdoulaye Doucoure has insisted that he will not take a wage cut to stay at Everton.

The midfielder is into the final few weeks of his time at Goodison Park. Signed in 2020, Doucoure has been a good servant for the Toffees and helped them battle Premier League relegation in recent years. In total, he has made 169 appearances and scored 21 goals - one of which was on the final day of the 2022-23 season when survival was secured.

But Everton have opted against taking the club option of an additional year in Doucoure’s current contract. The former Watford man is one of 14 players of the current squad whose deals expire in the summer. There has been some debate among supporters as to whether he should be handed fresh terms or released in June.

What’s been said

However, Doucoure believes that he would be deserving of a wage rise rather than having his current pay packet slashed and is braced to depart Merseyside. Speaking on The Ben Foster Podcast, he said: “There have not been any talks so far. I don’t wait for them to give me a contract because my contract is finished and already I have some offers on the table. In the next three weeks, I will have to take my decision whether I have a proposition or not, obviously. But I want this to finish in three weeks to announce if I stay or not.

“It’s the first time in my career I become a free agent because I’ve always wanted a contract to protect myself. I’m quite secure to have other propositions, I know I’m going to have some other offers, I already have. Everton is massive for me but maybe the chapter is finished and I have to accept that. I would be happy, at the end of the day, if I leave the club.

"It's funny because now I hear on especially X and Instagram that Everton fans were saying: 'We’d love Doucoure to stay but he has to lower his wages' and I'm amazed. Why are they talking about my salary? To be honest, I deserve to have my salary right now.

"And, to be honest, I won't reduce my salary to stay at the club because I don't think I deserve to reduce my salary. I'm playing every season, I'm scoring important goals, I'm very important for the club. No, I should have an increase. I’m only 33 years old and think I have three, four years easily in the Premier League. For me, to reduce my salary at this age, is something I will not do. I’m sorry.

“I hear a lot of things about my salary and I’m like: ‘Guys I see Mo Salah or [Virgil] van Dijk they have a pay rise because they are playing good. OK I’m not at that level, Everton is not at the level of Liverpool but I’m sorry, I’m playing every game for five years. There were a couple of players playing for Everton, to be honest I’m sorry, on an even higher salary and not playing as much but people always spoke about me and I’m just surprised, I’m sorry, I don’t agree.”