New recruit of Manchester City, Jeremy Doku, has shed light on the behind-the-scenes details of his transfer to the Cityzens. The Belgian forward revealed a conversation he had with Sadio Mané, who had dissuaded him from joining Liverpool.
A new chapter for Jeremy Doku. The Belgian forward will continue his young career at Manchester City. The English champions have spent a significant sum of 65 million euros to secure the services of the former Rennes player. The 21-year-old winger has committed to a five-year deal with the Sky Blues, who have found an ideal replacement for Riyad Mahrez, who departed for Saudi Arabia.
However, the arrival of young Jeremy Doku could have been a different story. Not due to the duration of negotiations, but due to Liverpool, their neighbors. Desired on Merseyside, the Belgian was close to joining the Reds in the past. While he was playing for Anderlecht, the native of Borgerhout, aged 15, was approached by Liverpool’s top brass.
Jurgen Klopp and a number of first-team players had traveled to Belgium to persuade Doku to move to Anfield. Sadio Mané was the chosen player to convince the prodigy to join the Reds. In an interview with Ouest-France in 2021, Jeremy Doku revealed that his conversation with the Senegalese international had changed his mind.
“I was able to exchange with Jürgen (Klopp), Mané, Wijnaldum… Gerrard too. I talked a lot with Mané, but we didn’t really talk about football. We talked about everything. He asked me about my age, he told me: ‘Be kind to your mother,’ it was a human exchange and connection above all. He told me that I was young, that I still had time… It wasn’t to convince me or tell me ‘come here, you will succeed.’
I preferred to be cautious. I know what my path should be. That’s why I say that at 15, it became serious for me, because at that moment, I envisioned my career a bit. I knew which route I had to take, and I knew that at that moment I had to stay at Anderlecht. And whenever I’m asked if I regret it, I always say no. Because if Liverpool came at 15, if they really like me, they will come back later, for sure. It’s up to me to be good.”
Doku chose to stay at Anderlecht before moving to Rennes in 2020, where he became an integral part of the team over his three seasons in Ligue 1.
