Arsenal hold advantage over Man Utd for French wonderkid after price shock

Tom Weber

• Updated: 22 Jun 2024 14:28 BST
• 4 min read

Man Utd have been priced out of a move for Desire Doue, but Arsenal remain interested, according to a report.

The French youngster overcame his early-season struggles to star for Stade Rennais towards the end of the bygone campaign. Doue thus put his name firmly back on the map after kind of falling off the radar a bit.

Previously, Doue had been regarded as one of Europe's most exciting talents, but his failure to feature regularly in the first few months of 2023/24 saw the hype die down a bit. This is now in the past, however, and Doue is a man in demand.

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The 19-year-old is thought to have admirers in Germany and England, though in light of recent reports, it seems that his future may lie in the latter rather than the former.

That is because GIVEMESPORT claims that Rennes have slapped a hefty, hefty price tag on the exciting attacker's head. It is asserted that the Ligue 1 side could demand as much as €70 million for Doue this summer.

Arsenal to make a move?

Such a figure casts doubt on the prospects of the teenager potentially moving to the Bundesliga. Bayer Leverkusen have been heavily linked, but they are not capable of spending that kind of money on a player.

However, Leverkusen aren't the only side who could be forced to end their pursuit at such a price. Man Utd have also been associated with Doue, but they too are not in a position to spend €70m on a player not considered a priority target.

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Man Utd just saw Michael Olise slip through their fingers for a similar price, as did Chelsea, who ended their pursuit of the Crystal Palace star due to concerns about the financial package. The Blues have also been linked with Doue.

Finally, there are Arsenal, who have no financial concerns heading into the summer transfer window. The Gunners would be able to spend that kind of money on the wonderkid, though whether they will do that is a different question, of course.

Arsenal are currently focusing on adding a No.6 and their transfer strategy is now about only signing players that are a real upgrade on their current options. While Doue may yet become a world-beater, it seems doubtful that Arsenal will be willing to spend that type of money on him as things stand.