MANCHESTER, England — Had circumstances been different, Jérémy Doku could very well have been donning the colors of Southampton at Wembley for the FA Cup semifinal on Saturday (stream live at 12:15 p.m. on ESPN+ in the U.S.) instead of representing Manchester City.
During the 2022-23 season, Southampton, fighting to avoid relegation from the Premier League, explored the possibility of acquiring the winger from Rennes during the January transfer window. However, a deal never came to fruition, and months later, Doku found himself joining the Etihad Stadium for a fee exceeding £50 million.
“Perhaps they [Southampton] showed interest,” Doku told ESPN. “There were clubs that were keen, but I never had direct discussions about moving there. I think it wouldn’t have been the right step for me at that moment.”
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Doku speculates that his eventual move to City may be linked to former City captain Vincent Kompany. Prior to his transfer to Rennes in 2020, Doku came up through the youth system at Anderlecht, where his path intersected with Kompany, who left City in 2019 to assume a player-coach role at the Belgian club.
The 23-year-old isn’t clear on every detail, but believes that City may have reached out to Kompany while searching for a new player to replace Riyad Mahrez late in the summer transfer window of 2023.
“At Anderlecht, when we discussed City, he [Kompany] always expressed that he envisioned me playing for a team like that,” Doku said. “Back then, I wasn’t certain. I didn’t see myself in that position yet, as I still had room to grow. But he frequently mentioned it, so I don’t think my presence here is coincidental.”
Now, as a vital player for a City team striving for a domestic treble, Doku has “Agent Kompany” to thank. Any gratitude towards the now-Bayern Munich manager will only increase if Doku achieves his personal aspirations.
As he approaches the conclusion of his third season in England, Doku has secured his place at the Etihad Stadium. His next objective, he explains, is to establish himself as one of the premier wingers globally, competing with talents like Real Madrid‘s Vinícius Júnior and Barcelona‘s Lamine Yamal.
Guardiola already considers the winger, who leads the Premier League in successful dribbles (64) this season, to be one of the top attackers in one-on-one situations due to his exceptional speed and agility. Doku admits that the only City player who can match his pace is defensive teammate Abdukodir Khusanov: “In a 15-meter dash, I believe I’d come out on top. But over 40 meters, he’s likely to beat me.”
Nonetheless, Doku recognizes an area needing improvement if he aims to reach the heights of Vinícius and Yamal: “As a winger, scoring goals is essential,” he asserts. “If I can add goals to my game, then I believe I’ll get there—100%.”
Doku’s goal tally at City has been modest for a player of his caliber. In 83 Premier League matches, he has netted only eight goals—this rises to 18 in 124 appearances when including Champions League, FA Cup, and Carabao Cup matches.
By contrast, Vinícius has scored 18 goals this season alone, while Yamal has netted 24. Meanwhile, City teammate Antoine Semenyo, who joined from Bournemouth in January, stands third in the Premier League’s Golden Boot race with 15 goals.
“I feel satisfied with my assists,” Doku says. “I believe I’m performing well in that department because it’s not solely dependent on me … However, I need to position myself better to convert easier goal opportunities—like tap-ins and so on.”
“Sometimes during matches, you get a bit distracted or lose awareness; you may not recognize when you’re out of position to score these straightforward goals.”
“Looking back at my goals, particularly this season, they’ve generally come from individual efforts, often through dribbles. I want to add about five simple tap-ins each season, which would significantly impact my overall contribution.”
Guardiola holds his reservations. After Doku’s goal in a November match against Liverpool—one of just two league goals this season—the City manager remarked: “I honestly don’t foresee him being a top scorer.” Nevertheless, he understands the impact Doku can make on the left flank; following the same match, Liverpool’s coach Arne Slot referred to him as “unstoppable.”
During a Champions League quarterfinal in March at the Bernabéu, Real Madrid had to assign two defenders to mark him, demonstrating their respect for his threat and disrupting their control of the game.
In a recent match against Burnley, Doku provided a critical assist for Erling Haaland, leading to a tense 1-0 victory that secured City’s position at the top of the Premier League table for the first time since August.
“If I can contribute with goals, our discussions change substantially,” he says. “You should consult defenders about their thoughts; I’m certain they would agree that if I scored, it would shift the dynamic considerably.”
“Currently, defenders often mark me with two players, which isn’t an issue—this just opens space for another player. However, I recognize that one-on-one situations are my biggest strength. I won’t shy away from that; it’s my essential talent. Yet, I acknowledge that I need to increase my goal-scoring output as well.”
For the time being, Doku is pleased to play his role in the quest for a title. He described City’s Carabao Cup final win over Arsenal in March as “a significant mental boost,” and since that event, the form of both teams has diverged drastically. City remains on an upward trajectory with four wins from four matches, while Arsenal has struggled, with just one victory in their last five outings.
As attention shifts to the FA Cup this Saturday, City eyes the opportunity to reach a record fourth consecutive final.
“We’re in a good rhythm,” Doku states. “We’re confident and hungry. We recognize there’s still much to fight for, and that’s what drives us.”