Manchester City are searching for a new winger to replace Riyad Mahrez – and reports have suggested that Rennes winger Jeremy Doku could be on the club’s radar.
Mahrez has left City after five seasons, and leaves behind a big hole.
While he made not have always been a regular starter, the Algerian was a tremendous signing for Pep Guardiola.
He had many brilliant moments, and he will be very difficult to replace.
City are thought to be looking at Michael Olise, who is perhaps more of a like-for-like replacement for Mahrez.
But Doku is supposedly an option too.
And in signing the Belgian, City might actually land more a new Leroy Sane than a new Riyad Mahrez.
Jeremy Doku is ‘electrifying’ just like Leroy Sane
It is fascinating to see City linked with a player like this.
In recent times, Pep Guardiola has shown more of a preference to use more technical wingers.
Jack Grealish, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden and Mahrez are all about their footwork and playmaking from wide areas.
Doku is a totally different profile, and arguably more like former City winger Leroy Sane.
Sane was regularly about getting his head down and knocking the ball past people. The German was absolutely brilliant to watch at times with the way he would glide about the pitch leaving players trailing in his wake.
And in Doku, City would find a player not so dissimilar.
The Athletic ran a feature on him last week and it is difficult not to conclude that the pair are very alike.
They say: “His ability to dribble past defenders makes them look as if they are defending at normal speed and that Doku is in fast forward.”
Doku finished last season with 11.1 take-ons per game, which was the highest of any player (with at least 900 minutes played) in the big five European leagues in 2022/23. His success rate of 60.4%.
He is said to be ‘extremely unpredictable’ and ‘electrifying’.
Man City fans would love a Leroy Sane-type player to watch again
As good as it is to watch players like Grealish and Bernardo, there are definitely fans out there that miss the Sane and Raheem Sterling days.
It is one of the best sights in football to watch a winger with pace dribbling past players.
It would be brilliant to see a player like Doku come to the Etihad.
Potentially, he would just make full-backs think a little bit more.
He is totally different to the current crop and his signing should be welcomed if it happens.
