Crystal Palace are interested in signing RC Lens defensive midfielder Cheick Doucoure but may have to 'compromise' in order to complete the deal.

What's the word?

GiveMeSport spoke to The Sun journalist Tom Barclay who expects both clubs to meet in the middle and for a deal to eventually be completed.

The French side could demand up to £26m for the player, which despite having already agreed to personal terms, is a fee that Palace consider too much.

There appears to be no rush from the London club and they are willing to wait if it means getting a better deal.

"My gut feeling is that it probably gets done eventually, but it will take a bit of compromise on both sides, and we’re just waiting for that to happen," he said. "You’ve got to remember that the transfer windows got so long to run, it’s only just opening, isn’t it, so there’s no rush."

He's better than Hughes

If the deal is completed and Doucoure ends up moving to Selhurst Park then a player he will be competing with for a spot in Vieira's side is Will Hughes.

The English midfielder joined Palace last summer from Watford for £6m and was a solid option last season. However, if the club want to move forward and push to finish in the top half they need more quality.

We think Doucoure has that and is a better option. If you compare the Mali international to Hughes the difference in talent is clear to see, not only is he good defensively - having tackled a higher percentage of dribblers last season - but he can also create.

One of his standout performances was against Nice where he earnt high praise for "destroying everyone" in front of him. He tallied seven goal-creating actions across the campaign compared to Hughes' three, that's impressive for a holding midfielder.

In possession Doucoure also excels which will appeal to Vieira. He has a higher pass completion percentage at 88% compared to Hughes' 82% and also scores higher when it comes to successful dribbles.

At 22 years of age, he is only going to improve, and he has the chance to move to Selhurst Park and be coached by one of the Premier League's best-ever midfielders, it would be hard to turn down.

Hughes could still play a part in the squad but Doucoure would certainly be an upgrade.

If a compromise can be reached then it would be a good addition to Palace's squad and would help make them a lot more competitive next season.

AND in other news: Vieira now given green light for £12.9m-rated Palace target, supporters surely buzzing...