Rennes coach Bruno Genesio has indicated that £43 million could be enough for Premier League champions Manchester City to sign Jeremy Doku this month.
Should he arrive at the Etihad Stadium over the next few weeks, Rennes’ one-time Anderlecht whizzkid would be framed as something of a Riyad Mahrez replacement; filling a void created by the Algerian’s departure to Saudi Arabia.
Stylistically-speaking, however, Jeremy Doku has more in comparison with a Leroy Sane. He is rapid, devastatingly direct, and something of an old-school, one-v-one dribbler. In a Manchester City side chock-full of sure-footed playmakers, Doku would give Pep Guardiola a different sort of threat.
A boy racer – all go-faster stripes and pearlescent paint – alongside a fleet of Bentleys and Rolls Royce’s in Guardiola’s garage.
Manchester City eye Jeremy Doku deal
According to ESPN on Monday lunchtime, talks between City and Rennes are now underway. An official bid is in the pipeline. And one worth somewhere in the region of £43 million may be sufficient to twist Rennes’ arm.
“It all depends on the offer we are talking about,” Genesio tells RMC Sport. “There are offers that are difficult to refuse. For Jeremy Doku, it could be around 50 million euros.”
Doku was at his devastating best in Sunday’s 5-1 hammering of Metz. A performance former Lyon boss Genesio believes may have been his best yet for the Brittany outfit.
“For the moment, we are not (finalising his departure),” Genesio added at full-time. “He is a Stade Rennais player. He showed it tonight. Until proven otherwise, he is usable (for me).”
Doku – who turned down a move to Liverpool when still a teenager – already has one big admirer in the Man City dressing room.
“He is nimble, fast and can dribble,” Belgium team-mate Kevin de Bruyne beamed after 21-year-old Doku marked his Rote Duivels bow with a stunning goal against Iceland in 2021.
“Of course, he can sometimes make a mistake. But who doesn’t? He is a diamond in the rough.”
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