Revealed: How Man City signed Doku after initial reservations

Stuart Telford

• 8 Sept 2023 20:42 BST
• 3 min read

Jeremy Doku was linked with a host of clubs before swapping Rennes for Manchester City in August, and the Belgium winger has now revealed what was key to him making the decision.

Doku joined City in a €60 million transfer in August, and made his Premier League debut in the 5-1 win over Fulham in City's final game before the international break.

Barcelona, Napoli and Aston Villa had also been credited with an interest in the fleet-footed 21-year-old, but Pep Guardiola and Kevin De Bruyne tipped the balance in City's favour.

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"I spoke with the sports director, with the coach. That's the key moment. When the coach speaks to you, it's not just anyone," he told RTL of his initial contact with Guardiola. "He explains to you what the project is, that he trusts you, what you want to hear. I found him quite sincere."

Agent De Bruyne

But De Bruyne also played a role in persuading a player he has grown to know well whilst on international duty with Belgium.

"He played a role. I knew he was there," Doku said. "He spoke to me when he heard the rumours, he asked me for confirmation. They asked him for information about me. He apparently said some positive things, which is good.

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"We stayed in touch, when I had questions, I asked them. When I came, he wasn't there, he was having an operation [on his hamstring]. I saw him just on the last day in Manchester for the match."

Doku famously turned down Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool for Rennes when he joined the Ligue 1 outfit from Anderlecht in October 2020, in the belief he would get more minutes in France.

He enjoyed his most prolific season to date last term, with seven goals and four assists in all competitions, but his average of five shot-creating actions per game last season suggest that there is an even more prolific player to be unearthed if Guardiola can refine his game.