Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing Rennes starlet Jeremy Doku. The Belgian put in some good displays at Euro 2020, and has subsequently attracted Liverpool’s interest.
Jürgen Klopp’s side have been quiet in the summer transfer window, unlike their rivals Manchester United and Manchester City. They have managed to bring in just one player in the form of defender Ibrahima Konate, who has joined from RB Leipzig.
However, with less than three weeks left for the transfer window to slam shut, Liverpool could accelerate their transfer plans and make some valuable additions to their squad.
According to Belgian news outlet Voetbal24, Liverpool have set their sights on Jeremy Doku but will need to shell around €45 million to persuade Rennes to sell their winger.
Jeremy Doku to Liverpool—An exciting option for Jürgen Klopp?
Injuries to key players dismantled Liverpool’s last season, yet, Jürgen Klopp’s side gathered enough momentum in the business end to finish third in the Premier League. While injury crisis at the back was one of the chief reasons for the Reds going trophyless, one cannot ignore the fact that their attack misfired too.
The attacking triumvirate of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino have ripped apart defences across Europe in recent few years, scoring plenty of goals for Klopp’s side. However, they only combined to score 42 league goals, 22 of which were scored by Salah alone.
Diogo Jota was signed from Wolves last summer, and regardless of an injury-hit debut campaign at Anfield, he scored nine times in 19 league games. But in reality, to compete with the Manchester giants for the league title next season, Klopp must prioritise adding more firepower to his squad.
That being said, the Reds’ interest in Jeremy Doku makes complete sense. Predominantly a right-winger, Doku is also comfortable playing off the left and threatening defences with his blistering pace, trickery and movement. He works really hard off the ball and could provide the Reds with a potent counter-attacking option.
Doku graduated through the R.S.C. Anderlecht academy and established himself at the Belgian club after making his senior debut in 2018. He played 37 times for Anderlecht before joining Rennes in Ligue 1 last summer. The winger racked up 44 appearances across all competitions, scoring four goals and registering eight assists.
After a decent debut Ligue 1 campaign with Rennes, the teenage prodigy caught the eye with his performances in the European Championships, especially during Belgium’s 2-1 defeat to Italy in the quarter-finals. Doku was undoubtedly Belgium’s best player on the night, giving his everything on the pitch but unfortunately couldn’t help his nation’s elimination in the Round of 16.
The Belgian international may take time to get accustomed to the Premier League but initially, he could be a solid option to come from the bench for Liverpool and give a testing time to tiring defenders with his speed and directness. Under the tutelage of Klopp, Doku can improve overall as a player, which can be useful for both Liverpool and Belgium.
Thus, the Reds must not hesitate to splash the cash to sign Doku from Rennes as he could be an ideal long-term investment.