Doucoure signed for Crystal Palace from Lens
New Crystal Palace signing Cheick Doucoure has allegedly been the victim of blackmail and attempted extortion since his move from Lens this summer.
The 22-year-old moved to Selhurst Park on a five-year contract in a £21m deal. He made made 34 Ligue 1 appearances for Lens last season as they achieved a seventh-placed finish in France’s top-flight.
As per journalist Loïc Tanzi, the player’s lawyer released a statement alleging that the midfielder is being blackmailed.
Communique de l’avocat de Cheick Doucoure, fraîchement arrivé à Crystal Palace. Le milieu de terrain est victime d’un chantage pic.twitter.com/9eBNH1bbhT
— Loïc Tanzi (@Tanziloic) July 17, 2022
The statement – translated to English – reads: “Press release from Maître Alexis Rutman, lawyer for Mr. Cheick Oumar Doucoure.
“Since the announcement of his transfer from RC Lens to Crystal Palace, Mr. Cheick Oumar Doucoure and his entourage are victims of blackmail and an attempt at extortion from several individuals acting in concert (a players’ agent and a photographer, supported by a journalist), clearly lured by the profits supposedly generated by this transaction.
“These individuals claim, with false evidence, that my client would have a double identity and demand the payment of a sum of money in return for their silence.
“Several Whatsapp messages to this effect, accompanied by false documents, have thus been addresses to my client and his entourage over the past few days.
“This situation is very serious and obviously unacceptable.
“My client and his entourage will not yield anything in the face of such actions which expose their perpetrators face severe criminal penalties. All appropriate legal actions will therefore be taken both criminally and civilly against these three individuals but also against all those who would support, endorse, relay, in any form whatsoever, such actions and/or they slanderous accusations.”
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