Doekhi is heavily linked with leaving Vitesse in the ongoing window as he has less than a year left on his current deal and several clubs across Europe in the likes of Newcastle United, Norwich City and Atalanta have all been credited with interest in him.
Scottish Premiership champions Rangers are also linked with interest in snapping up the centre-back this summer, but doubts emerged recently over whether Vitesse are willing to let him go having handed him the captain’s armband for the upcoming season.
However, Doekhi has insisted Vitesse did not make him captain to ensure he remains at the club beyond the ongoing window, but rather he was in line to receive the armband as he was already the vice-captain.
Doekhi also left the door open for a summer exit as he stressed being named captain has not convinced him to stay at Vitesse.
“It is not the case that the captain’s armband has now convinced me to stay”, Doekhi told Dutch broadcaster Omroep Gelderland.
“I was already vice-captain, so there was a chance that I would become captain when [Remko] Pasveer left.
“So, it is not an extra trick from the club to keep me here.”
Steven Gerrard has a host of defensive options and it remains to be seen if he will decide to make a move for Doekhi, or wait until next summer when he will potentially be a free agent.
