How Jeremy Doku became Pep Guardiola’s latest Manchester City superstar

Pep Guardiola had no doubt when asked recently whether Jeremy Doku could reach the level of Vinicius Jr and Lamine Yamal.

“Yes, absolutely,” the Manchester City boss said. “And always accept being challenged. Always accept that. And that’s nice. We’re really pleased. He’s winning games now. But he’s always been really good.”

Doku has developed as a player and after nearly three years at the club he is starting to realize his great promise at City.

Just 23 years old, the Belgian winger signed from Rennes for £55.4 million in August 2023 and City were aware of his high potential.

His pace and dribbling quality have always been best in class and form the basis of a unique profile in the modern game.

Speaking to The Athletic, Shaun Maloney, one of Doku’s former coaches in Belgium, said that even during the Under-17 European Championship, the young winger’s quality immediately stood out.

“What you see now in terms of one-on-one dribbling is exactly what he was back then. He was dribbling in his own half and dribbling 70 and 80 yards,” Maloney said.

A few years later, during Doku’s first year playing for Rennes, Kylian Mbappe and his father sat in the stands and watched in admiration.

“I was talking to my father in the stands about a player I noticed because of his pace,” Mbappe said.

“The player was Doku in Rennes. In my five years as a professional, I have never seen someone with such explosive power in his first steps.”

Players with certain outstanding qualities can create strong careers, but becoming the star of an elite team requires the perfect combination of these qualities; This is something Doku has started to do now.

Saturday will see them hoping to help Man City win a second trophy of the campaign when they face Chelsea in the FA Cup final at Wembley.