Man City Agree £55.5 Million Deal to Sign Winger Jeremy Doku
Manchester City have agreed a £55.5 million deal to sign Belgian winger Jeremy Doku from French club Rennes. The 21-year-old is set to become the third signing of the summer at the Etihad, following Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic.
Doku has emerged as one of the most exciting attacking talents in Europe, and the move comes after Liverpool twice rolled out the red carpet for him in the past. The youngster’s father, David Doku, explained how the Reds pulled out all the stops to tempt his son to join during a visit to Melwood.
Liverpool’s Previous Attempts to Sign Doku
“Klopp explained how he saw a potential successor to Sadio Mane in Jeremy,” David Doku told Het Nieuwsblad in 2020. “At the age of 16, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Man City, Ajax and PSV were interested. We then visited clubs like Liverpool and Ajax. My preference was Liverpool. Steven Gerrard showed us videos with tactical analysis. At the training complex Mignolet, Mane and Wijnaldum came to talk to us. How we were received there – damn!”
Despite the advances from Liverpool, and both legendary figures and fellow Belgians meeting the teenager, Doku opted to stay with Anderlecht. He eventually made the switch to Rennes in 2020, but not before another offer from Merseyside, as the winger himself told Het Nieuwsblad two years ago.
“I did a lot of research first, wrote down all the positive points and only then did I make a decision,” he explained. “I knew that I first wanted to make an intermediate step. Going to a top club now would be too soon. I still have a lot to learn and Rennes is the ideal place for that. As soon as I’m asked if I regret it, I always say no, because if Liverpool came to me at 15, if they like me, they’ll come back later, that’s certain. It’s up to me to play well.”
Liverpool’s Current Attacking Options
Doku is primarily a right winger, and Ben Doak serves as the only natural backup to Mohamed Salah at this stage. With Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota also firmly in place, there are bigger priorities elsewhere when it comes to recruitment.
Doku’s Move to Man City
Doku’s move to a “top club” comes instead to Man City, where he will fill the void left by Riyad Mahrez following his move to Al-Ahli. The Manchester side will pay around £55.5 million for the 21-year-old, making him one of the most expensive signings of the summer.
The winger will join a star-studded attack at the Etihad Stadium, with the likes of Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus already at the club. He will be hoping to make an immediate impact and help Man City challenge for silverware in the upcoming season.
For Liverpool, meanwhile, it is not a huge blow given their wealth of talent in the final third. With Jota and Salah both in fine form last season, they can now focus their attention on other areas of the squad.