Jeremy Doku wasn’t Manchester City’s initial choice to replace Riyad Mahrez. However, it’s worth considering whether Doku is indeed a direct replacement for Mahrez.
Losing Mahrez was a setback for City, given his impressive 28 goal involvements in 47 games across all competitions last season, with 15 goals and 13 assists to his name.
Reports suggested that City had their eyes on Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise before he committed to a new deal at Selhurst Park. Additionally, Cole Palmer, following his significant contributions in England’s Under-21 European Championship victory over the summer, has showcased his talent for City. This included scoring the equalizer in their UEFA Super Cup triumph against Sevilla.
If Palmer remains with the team, he could potentially step into Mahrez’s role. So, the question arises: where does Jeremy Doku, the new signing from Rennes, fit in? One might argue that Doku could address a gap in the squad, but not necessarily the one left by Mahrez.
Last summer, City’s decision to let Raheem Sterling depart, particularly to a perceived rival like Chelsea, was somewhat surprising. Sterling had been a crucial part of Guardiola’s City squad for many years, consistently contributing at least 36 goal involvements in each of the three seasons from 2017 to 2020. While his numbers slightly declined to 24 and 25 in the subsequent two seasons before his move to Chelsea, there’s no denying that Sterling played a pivotal role in Guardiola’s dominant City teams once he found his form.
Has Manchester City Acquired the Next Promising Talent in Jeremy Doku?
It’s intriguing to note that, based on our player comparison analysis, Jeremy Doku’s performance during the 2022-23 Ligue 1 season closely resembles Raheem Sterling’s 2013-14 season at Liverpool. This parallel is particularly interesting given that Sterling made his £50 million move to Manchester City just a year later.
The statistics provide an interesting comparison between Jérémy Doku’s 2022-23 season and Raheem Sterling’s 2013-14 season at Liverpool.
Doku managed to score seven goals and provide five assists in 35 appearances last season, although only 16 of those were starts. Rennes’ manager, Bruno Genesio, seemed to have some reservations about starting Doku regularly but recognized the impact he could have coming off the bench.
In contrast, Sterling recorded 10 goals and six assists during the 2013-14 season at Liverpool, from 38 appearances in all competitions, with 27 of those being starts. When you analyze their output per 90 minutes in their respective leagues, you can see the similarities. Both created an average of 2.1 chances per 90 minutes. Sterling had an average of 61 touches per 90 minutes, while Doku had 62. They both won possession back for their teams, with Sterling averaging 6.0 times per 90 minutes and Doku 6.2. In terms of goals, Sterling averaged 0.37 goals per 90 minutes compared to Doku’s 0.42, and both took an average of 1.8 shots per 90 minutes.
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It’s worth noting that Doku’s seven goals last season marked his highest tally in a single campaign, whereas Sterling took a couple of years to consistently find his scoring form at City, scoring 10 and 11 goals in his first two campaigns before hitting 23 in his third.
Sterling made the move from Anfield to the Etihad Stadium in 2015 at the age of 20, whereas Doku is currently 21. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Guardiola gradually integrate Doku into the team. One area where Doku outperformed Sterling in the last season was his volume of dribbling. Doku attempted an average of 10.9 dribbles per 90 minutes with a success rate of 61.9%, while Sterling averaged just 6.5 dribbles per 90 minutes with a 58.2% success rate.
Doku’s Dazzling Dribbling
Jeremy Doku’s rise in the football world has been quite remarkable. He made a significant impact after breaking into the Anderlecht first team at the incredibly young age of just 16 in November 2018. Less than two years later, Rennes signed him as their club-record acquisition. His promising debut season in France earned him a call-up to Robert Martinez’s Belgium squad for the rescheduled Euro 2020 tournament.
During Euro 2020, Doku surprised many by starting in matches against Finland in the group stage and Italy in the quarter-finals. Although Belgium lost the latter game, Doku left a lasting impression, particularly with his remarkable dribbling abilities. In fact, he completed eight dribbles in that match, setting a record for a teenager since comprehensive tournament data has been available, dating back to 1980.
Doku’s explosive dribbling skills have consistently drawn attention. Since the beginning of last season, he has averaged an impressive ball carry distance of 356 meters per 90 minutes, which is the highest among players in Europe’s top five leagues. He surpasses notable names like Rayan Cherki (347m), Facundo Medina (331m), Jack Grealish (317m), and Ousmane Dembélé (309m). Additionally, Medina, a defender for Lens, was the only player to average more progressive carries per 90 minutes than Doku, with Doku still recording an impressive 15.8 progressive carries per 90 minutes.
Doku’s dribbling prowess in Ligue 1 has been nothing short of exceptional. Since the commencement of last season, he has averaged an astonishing 6.8 successful dribbles per 90 minutes, surpassing all other players in Europe’s top five leagues who have played over 900 minutes. This places him comfortably ahead of the second-placed player, former Newcastle United talent Allan Saint-Maximin, who managed 4.9 successful dribbles per 90 minutes.
Guardiola’s Dilemma: Balancing Doku’s Dribbling Prowess in Possession-Oriented Play
In Europe’s top five leagues last season, only Vinícius Júnior (112) and Lionel Messi (103) managed to complete more successful take-ons than Jérémy Doku’s impressive tally of 96. It’s worth noting, however, that both Vinícius (348 attempts) and Messi (193 attempts) made more attempts than Doku (169) to pull off these dribbles.
The question arises: Will Pep Guardiola want Doku to continue dribbling at the same rate? Interestingly, Cole Palmer emerged as Manchester City’s most prolific dribbler in the Premier League last season, attempting an average of 6.0 dribbles per 90 minutes in his 14 appearances, with a success rate of 66.7%. Surprisingly, despite his reputation, Jack Grealish attempted fewer dribbles, averaging 3.5 per 90 minutes, with a success rate of 60.0%.
Guardiola places a strong emphasis on ball control and possession in his team’s style of play, encouraging precise passing and ball retention. Grealish’s dribble attempts per 90 in his final season at Aston Villa were 4.5, indicating a slight reduction in his dribbling frequency since joining City. Similarly, Raheem Sterling averaged 5.7 dribbles per 90 in the Premier League during Guardiola’s first season at City, compared to 6.9 per 90 in his final season at Liverpool. Therefore, Guardiola might seek to reduce Doku’s reliance on dribbling.
However, it’s also possible that Guardiola sees Doku’s exceptional ability to beat defenders as a valuable asset and is exploring new attacking strategies. Doku’s versatility, being equally proficient on the left and right sides, could provide Guardiola with the flexibility to adapt his tactical approach.
Assist Evolution: Doku’s Path to Improved Playmaking
The delay in signing Jérémy Doku by one of Europe’s top clubs is often attributed to concerns about his end product. While Doku has consistently impressed with his dribbling skills, his ability to convert these moments into goals and assists was a point of contention until last season. In the 2020-21 season, Doku managed only two goals in Ligue 1, despite having an expected goals (xG) value of 2.8. However, in the most recent season, he significantly improved his goal-scoring, netting six goals in the league from an xG value of just 2.7.
While Jérémy Doku has made strides in his goal-scoring, there is still room for improvement in his assist numbers. In the 2020-21 season, he provided three open-play assists in Ligue 1, with an expected assists (xA) value of 4.7. Last season, he managed two open-play assists with an xA of 4.0. However, it’s worth considering that at Manchester City, he will likely have the opportunity to pass the ball to Erling Haaland frequently, which should significantly boost his assist output.
Balancing Injury Concerns: Managing Doku’s Explosive Pace
Manchester City should exercise caution regarding Jérémy Doku’s injury history. Despite a standout 2020-21 campaign, where he featured in 30 Ligue 1 matches, with 26 starts, the following season was marred by various injuries, limiting him to just 14 league appearances, of which only four were starts.
In the most recent season, Doku experienced three separate injury setbacks, with the most recent being a hamstring issue. Players with Doku’s explosive pace often place significant strain on their muscles. However, City has demonstrated in the past year, with their successful management of Erling Haaland’s injury concerns, that they can effectively handle such issues. Hopefully, they can continue to address and manage Doku’s injury concerns for both the club’s benefit and the player’s well-being.
Interestingly, when comparing Doku’s performances, it’s notable that two of the four closest comparable individual seasons in the last 15 years belong to another Belgian winger, Eden Hazard. This association with a player of Hazard’s caliber certainly reflects positively on Doku’s potential.
Former Belgium assistant manager Thierry Henry had high praise for Jérémy Doku when he said, “When you’re one on one with him, there’s only one thing left to do — pray.” Henry’s intimate knowledge of the Premier League and the pressure it puts on defenders makes his endorsement of Doku’s skills particularly significant. If Doku can replicate anything close to the impact that Henry had in his prime, Manchester City fans have every reason to be excited.
