Renowned journalist Dean Jones has said Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku was close to joining Liverpool in his teens.
English and European champions Manchester City signed Doku from Rennes for a €60 million ($65.36 million) fee in August. The Belgian winger has proven to be a worthy addition to Pep Guardiola’s star-studded team, with him impressing onlookers with his breakneck pace and offensive output.
Liverpool Were Once Close To Signing Doku, Says Jones
The 21-year-old seems to have all it takes to make it big in the Premier League, and according to Jones, Liverpool could have been the ones to reap the rewards.
As per the journalist, Doku was close to joining the Anfield outfit when he was only 15, with him also taking a tour of the training facilities at Melwood. However, after sincere deliberation, Doku decided against joining Liverpool and stayed put at his then-club Anderlecht.
Writing in his Daily Briefing column only a couple of days before Liverpool’s Premier League meeting with Manchester City (November 25), Jones revealed (via Caught Offside):
“Liverpool will be up against perhaps the most exciting player in the Premier League this weekend. Jeremy Doku has been sensational since joining Manchester City, and Trent Alexander-Arnold and Co. will have their work cut out trying to stop the Belgian star.
“Doku was linked quite regularly to Liverpool during his time at both Anderlecht and Rennes, and I understand he was close to moving to Anfield as a 15-year-old. He has revealed himself that he was shown around the training ground (then Melwood) and that he had conversations with Jurgen Klopp and some senior Reds players, but chose to stay at Anderlecht.”
A Look At Doku’s Numbers At Manchester City
Doku has given Jack Grealish a run for his money in the 2023-24 season, and understandably so. While Grealish is a better passer of the ball, Doku is easily the more explosive of the two. So, depending on the opposition, Guardiola has alternated between the pair, giving the Belgian attacker more minutes than the Englishman.
Doku has also fully justified Guardiola’s faith in him by consistently producing top-tier performances. In the Premier League, Doku has played nine matches so far, scoring twice and providing five assists. Whereas, in the Champions League, he has scored once and claimed an assist in four appearances.
Grealish, meanwhile, has claimed a solitary assist in seven Premier League appearances thus far.
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
