Crystal Palace have ‘certainly’ looked at signing RC Lens midfielder Cheick Doucoure and Marseille striker Bamba Dieng, according to Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor.

The Eagles are expected to continue the rebuild of the first-team squad that manager Patrick Vieira started last summer after succeeding Roy Hodgson in the dugout.

What is the latest news involving Crystal Palace?

According to The Sun, Palace ‘will sign’ Doucoure in a £15 million deal if he can agree personal terms with the club following an impressive campaign in France.

The 22-year-old played a crucial role in his side finishing in an impressive seventh position in the Ligue 1 standings and could be rewarded with a move to Selhurst Park.

Meanwhile, French outlet RMC Sport reported back in January that Dieng was the subject of late interest from Palace and fellow Premier League outfit West Ham United.

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It was claimed that Marseille were willing to offload the Senegal international for €10m (£8m) in the winter window, but a formal offer failed to materialise, and he ended up staying put.

Only time will tell if Palace can get the deal for Doucoure over the line and whether they revive their interest in Dieng as Vieira plots his next steps in south London.

What has Taylor said about Palace?

Taylor told GiveMeSport: “With Palace, you’ve got to sort of question how much they have available to spend, and being realistic, it's not going to be players that cost £25 million, it's going to be sort of that £10 million to £20 million bracket.

“So, you need to sort of be cautious over what kind of quality you're going to get at that price, and the best way to invest would be the younger players, as they've done. And they're reaping the rewards of that now.

“I think Cheick Doucoure is one that they've looked at certainly, and Bamba Dieng as well from Marseille.”

How good are Doucoure and Dieng?

Doucoure, who is valued at £13m by the CIES Football Observatory, enjoyed a fruitful 2021/22 campaign, racking up five goal contributions in 37 appearances.

As per FBref, the defensive-minded ace also ranked in the 92^nd percentile for progressive carries, 91^st for progressive passes and 82^nd for interceptions amongst players in his position over the last year.

And Dieng also enjoyed a successful season for OM. The 22-year-old, who is valued at £13m as well, found the back of the net on eight occasions and set up three further strikes.

The youngster did so in just 17 starts and 18 outings off the substitute’s bench, indicating he could become a potent force for Vieira should he make the switch to Palace.