Everton, Celtic and Sunderland want defensive midfielder – Officials travel for transfer

BK Häcken's 19-year-old defensive midfielder Abdoulaye Doumbia is attracting interest from Everton, Celtic, Sunderland and Coventry City, with scouts from multiple clubs visiting Sweden to watch him.

Abdoulaye Doumbia, a 19-year-old defensive midfielder at Swedish club BK Häcken, has become a target for multiple European clubs. The Ivorian, who joined Häcken from ASEC Mimosas in January, has impressed with 28 appearances and 2,389 minutes played this season, scoring two goals and providing three assists.

Everton, Celtic, Sunderland and Coventry City are among the Premier League and Scottish Premiership sides monitoring him, but interest extends across Europe. Bayer Leverkusen, Paris FC, OGC Nice, RC Lens, SC Freiburg and Club Brugge have also sent scouts to watch him in action. Wolverhampton Wanderers previously scouted him earlier in the year.

Doumbia's market value has risen significantly to €5m, up from €700k in June. The player has previously expressed ambitions to join Liverpool, Real Madrid or Barcelona, but a move to one of the current suitors could serve as a stepping stone to a bigger club.