Jérémy Doku is a great example of that. Back when he was breaking through at Anderlecht as a teenager, the Belgian winger came to Liverpool and was close to signing for the club. The meeting took place in 2018, and Klopp allegedly told the teenager back then that he saw him as the long-term heir to Mané's throne at Anfield.
"Klopp explained how he saw a potential successor to Sadio Mané in Jeremy," Doku's father, David, told Het Nieuwsblad.
The move though never materialized. Doku ended up staying put at Anderlecht before moving to Rennes and then catching the eye at Euro 2020, where Liverpool might have watched with a little envy as the young Belgian stole the show with his exciting dribbling skills.
Doku hasn't lost that touch of quality, but the years since the peak moment in his fledgling career to date have not gone as he would have expected. He's not been able to build on the momentum from the European Championships, and since returning to Rennes he has been riddled with injuries that have hampered his development and progress.
As a result, his Transfermarkt valuation has dropped from $28m (£22m/€26m) back in July 2021, after the Euros, to just $20m (£16m/€18m) in the present moment.
Of course, that's only an estimate. But that reduction of $8m reflects the reality that Doku would almost certainly be a cheaper option for Liverpool now than almost two years ago. Obviously, much of that has been due to his injuries, but he still might be worth a gamble, particularly at a lower price point.
And it seems the club may have reached the same conclusion, at least according to French journalist Mohamed Toubache-Ter (writing on Twitter, and translated by Get French Football News). Liverpool is said to have a 'strong interest' in Doku, with a transfer agreement said to be the likely ultimate outcome.

Liverpool has been credited with reviving its transfer interest in Jérémy Doku. (Image: Photo by Joosep Martinson - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Doku is just 21 years old, and likes to play on the right wing, where Liverpool doesn't really have anyone to cover in behind Mohamed Salah at the moment. He also strung together a good run of games towards the end of the campaign, ending with 29 Ligue 1 appearances — yielding six goals and two assists.
His explosive speed and incredible ability in one vs one situations is the reason why he stood out in the first place, attracting Mané comparisons. It's a quality that's rare to find in football, but hugely important for the way Klopp likes his attackers to play.
He's missed 41 games due to injuries in the last two seasons. That is a huge volume, but it's also a freak occurrence. Even the most injury-prone players won't routinely be sidelined for such a huge quantity of matches — although the recurring
Comments
Post a Comment