Arsenal and Manchester United have reportedly initiated contacts to sign 18-year-old French midfield prodigy Desire Doue from Stade Rennais.
According to a report by French outlet Sports Zone, Desire Doue wants to leave Stade Rennais in the summer transfer window. Arsenal and Manchester United are interested in signing the 18-year-old midfield prodigy. And they have made initial contacts with the youngster’s entourage, with Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, and Paris Saint-Germain also keen.
Who is Desire Doue?
Desire Doue is one of the brightest young prospects in his country. A native of Angers, he has been with Stade Rennais throughout his formative years, joining the Ligue 1 outfit as a six-year-old in 2011. Since then, the French wonderkid has come leaps and bounds and is now a regular for the club’s first-team squad.
While the 18-year-old is not an undisputed first-choice starter for Rennes, he has turned out 42 times in the 2023/24 season for the Ligue 1 outfit, chipping in with four goals and six assists. However, Doue’s long-term future at the club is uncertain as he wants to embark on a new adventure in the summer transfer window.
Such a situation has not gone unnoticed, capturing the attention of several high-profile clubs across Europe. The report by Sports Zone mentions Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, and Paris Saint-Germain. However, a move to the Premier League might be on the cards, with Arsenal and Manchester United establishing contacts with his entourage.
Premier League beckons?
Arsenal’s interest in Desire Doue is understandable. The versatile 18-year-old is primarily an attacking midfielder but can also reprise roles as a box-to-box midfielder and a left-winger. So, with Thomas Partey and Emile Smith Rowe facing uncertain futures at the Emirates, the Stade Rennais wonderkid is a viable target.
As for Manchester United, the Red Devils are also scouring the market for a midfielder heading into the summer transfer window. Christian Eriksen and Donny van de Beek will likely depart from Old Trafford, while Manchester United will not complete a permanent move for Sofyan Amrabat.
With Arsenal and Manchester United initiating contacts over a summer move, an adventure in the Premier League might be on the cards for Doue. However, Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, and PSG will look to put a spanner in the works for the two English bigwigs.
