(London) Rennes’ Belgian right winger Jérémy Doku (21) became Manchester City’s third summer signing on Thursday by signing with the English club until 2028, the European champions team announced.
“It’s a big day for me, both personally and professionally. Manchester City are the best football team in the world, so joining them is something very special for me and my family,” Doku said in a club statement.
“Manchester City are pleased to confirm the signing of Jérémy Doku,” the English club wrote in a statement. “The 21-year-old has signed a five-year contract […] until the summer of 2028”.
The lively striker crosses the Channel to join the armada of Pep Guardiola, his stars galore, his boundless ambition and his three trophies amassed last season (Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League).
Diving into the deep end of the European giants will offer an intense challenge to Doku, a right winger renowned for his percussion and dribbling skills in Ligue 1, in view of the competition for his position.
A place has certainly been released with the departure of Riyad Mahrez in Saudi Arabia. But the Algerian was only a (luxury) substitute in a squad where the versatile Bernardo Silva and the enthusiastic Phil Foden, named man of the match on Saturday against Newcastle (1-0), shone on the side.
It may also be necessary to jostle with Cole Palmer, author of a great start to the season rewarded with goals in the Community Shield, lost against Arsenal, and in the European Super Cup against Sevilla FC. The arrival of Doku could however convince the English hopeful, crowned this summer at the Euro, to go and express his talent elsewhere.
The Belgian international (14 caps, 2 goals) remains a diamond to polish and that’s good, it’s precisely Guardiola’s specialty.
The Citizens coach, like many observers, has detected qualities in Doku that are not immediately apparent when reading his statistics, which are sometimes misleading.
Since his arrival in 2020 from Anderlecht, the striker has scored only twelve times and provided ten assists for Rennes. This return appears at first sight quite far from the expectations placed in the one who was, before the arrival of Amine Gouiri in September 2022, the most expensive recruit in the history of the club (26 million euros).
But his sense of goal has been refined in recent months and his potential still appears enormous, while the adventure with the Rouge et Noir has been marred by numerous injuries (thigh, knee, calf).
Holder only thirteen times last season in Ligue 1, Doku has nevertheless demonstrated his talent by martyring the opposing defenses. Despite his low playing time, he rose to third place in the dribblers of the major European championships, behind Vinicius (with Real Madrid) and Lionel Messi (with Paris Saint-Germain), according to the ranking published by the supplier. opta data.
Doku also improved in finishing, like his goal last season against Ajaccio, concluded with a superb cross shot after a ride of 50 meters leaving three defenders with their noses in the grass.
Against Metz (5-1) for the resumption, he scored again and made “one of the best matches” in his Rennes history, complimented coach Bruno Genesio, fatalistic in the face of “hard to refuse” offers for nuggets like Doku.
In fact, Manchester City drew on the portfolio of its wealthy Emirati owner to offer the services of the young Belgian.
Stade Rennes would have dropped its player for 55.5 million pounds (around 65 million euros), according to specialized media, which would constitute a record for the Breton institution, far ahead of the 35 million euros disbursed in June 2022 by West Ham for Moroccan defender Nayef Aguerd.
With Doku, Manchester City made a recruitment by line this summer, after Croatian Josko Gvardiol in defense and his compatriot Mateo Kovacic in midfield.
