Watford midfielder Doucoure signs new five-year contract

The 25-year-old Frenchman joined Watford in 2016 and has established himself as a mainstay in central midfield, missing just two of their 41 matches last season and winning the club's Player of the Season award.

(Reuters)

"It has become perfectly clear that our ambitions as a club match Abdoulaye's ambitions as a player, and we are looking forward to continuing to work together to reach our goals," Watford chairman and CEO Scott Duxbury told the club's website https://www.watfordfc.com/teams/first-team/official-new-deal-doucoure.

Watford have also recruited five new players and made winger Gerard Delofeu a permanent signing ahead of the new season, which kicks off at home against Brighton and Hove Albion on Aug. 11.

(Reporting by Aditi Prakash in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)