Barcelona and Liverpool have reportedly been joined by Bayern Munich in the race to sign Rennes and Belgium forward Jeremy Doku.
According to a report from Fichajes, Barcelona and Liverpool are set to face competition from German champions Bayern Munich in the race to sign Belgian forward Jeremy Doku from Stade Rennais.
Doku came through the youth ranks at RSC Anderlecht and went on to make 37 senior appearances, in which he produced a return of six goals and seven assists. The 19-year-old signed for Rennes in the summer transfer window last year in a deal worth €26 million. His debut season did not have much to write home about as he managed to score just two goals and chalk up four assists in 37 games.
Despite his low return, Doku managed to attract a slew of suitors due to his searing pace, his ability to run at and beat defenders with ease and his vast potential. Capped ten times by the Belgian national team, the teenager has popped up on the radars of Liverpool while Barcelona have also recently made their interest known in the youngster, with Bayern Munich now entering the race.
Liverpool are in the market for attacking reinforcements, considering they lack quality cover for their first-choice trio of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah. Diogo Jota has proven to be a reliable operator for Jurgen Klopp, but with the likes of Salah and Mane touching their thirties and the former’s contract set to expire in 18 months, infusing some fresh blood into the attacking unit makes sense.
Doku, to that end, would be a viable option for Liverpool to consider as, at 19, he can be slowly groomed into eventually taking over from the senior forwards in a year or two. As for Barcelona, their newfound interest in the Belgian international stems from manager Xavi Hernandez’s insistence to add natural wingers with pace to his roster.
Ousmane Dembele is in the final year of his contract with the Catalan giants. He has been linked with an exit from Camp Nou, even though the club want to tie him down to a new deal. There are also question marks over the future of Philippe Coutinho and Martin Braithwaite, who might not be a part of the plans under the new management either.
So, there will be room for a new forward to arrive at Camp Nou, with Doku among the various names being considered. But they will now have to contend with competition from Bayern Munich in the race to sign the ex-Anderlecht starlet. The Bavarian giants will need a new winger as Kingsley Coman’s future could lie away from the Allianz Arena.
The Frenchman will enter the final year of his contract at the end of the season and coincidentally has been linked with a move to Barcelona. His potential exit would leave a hole in the attacking department, which Bayern intend to fill with Doku. With interest rising in him, it will be interesting to see who among Barcelona, Liverpool or Bayern clinch his signing in the coming months.
