Manchester City CONFIRM £55m arrival of winger Jeremy Doku from Rennes
Manchester City CONFIRM the £55m arrival of Belgian winger Jeremy Doku from Rennes… with the rapid youngster recommended by injured star Kevin De Bruyne to replace Riyad Mahrez
- Manchester City have announced the signing of pacy winger Jeremy Doku, 21
- Pep Guardiola’s side have agreed a £55million fee with Rennes for the transfer
- Transfer news LIVE: Liverpool have their third bid for Brazilian Andre rejected
- WATCH: ‘It’s All Kicking Off’ – Episode 2 – Mail Sport’s brand new football show
Manchester City have announced the signing of pacy winger Jeremy Doku.
City agreed a £55million fee with French side Rennes on Monday and the deal is now complete.
The 21-year-old is likely to be available to the Treble winners when the Premier League champions face Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Sunday.
Doku had been on City’s radar from the middle of last season but interest intensified following Riyad Mahrez’s unexpected departure to Al-Ahli last month.
The Belgian, who has 14 caps for his country, comes recommended by compatriot Kevin De Bruyne – who is injured – and will inject pace into a City team that Guardiola believed needed additional dynamism.
Manchester City have formally announced the signing of rapid winger Jeremy Doku (pictured)
Pep Guardiola’s side have agreed a £55million deal with Ligue 1 Rennes to sign the wideman
This comes after Riyad Mahrez departed the club to join Al-Ahli earlier in the summer window
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Doku has suffered several hamstring injuries while at Rennes but his signing signifies a boost for Guardiola, who admitted at the weekend that his squad needed more bodies.
The move also has an impact on the futures of Cole Palmer and James McAtee, the two highly rated academy products who are yet to decide where they will play their football this season.
Both are wanted by a host of clubs in England and abroad, with Guardiola saying last week that Palmer will either remain with City or leave permanently, revealing that a loan is not an option.
Doku scored six goals for Rennes in Ligue 1 last season and is known for his intense pressing in the final third – a staple of the style of play under Guardiola.
He scored as Rennes beat Metz 5-1 on the opening day of the campaign but was an unused substitute during last Sunday’s draw with Lens as a switch to the Etihad Stadium edged closer.
City have now got the deal over the line, though are still searching for a central midfielder after their quest to sign Lucas Paqueta stalled with betting allegations against the West Ham man last week.
Doku’s arrival will take City’s spending beyond £150m for the summer, with Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic already impressing during their first few appearances.
They will have recouped around half of that spend in sales, with Aymeric Laporte set for Al-Nassr for £23.5m.
It was revealed on Tuesday that Sadio Mane may have cost Liverpool the chance to sign Doku for a fraction of the fee that has been agreed between Rennes and rivals City.
Doku is one of the most exciting young prospects in Europe right now having attracted interest from several big clubs including Tottenham, City, West Ham and Liverpool.
A graduate of the Anderlecht academy, he joined the French outfit back in 2020, notably scoring six goals in 29 league appearances last season.
The deal will likely come as a blow to Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, who reportedly had the chance to sign him for 100th of the price that Man City are set to pay for him back when the winger was 15 years old.
Had Doku decided to join Liverpool, he may have inherited Mane’s position on the wing, yet the Senegalese international reportedly could have urged the Belgian international not to join.
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