Manchester City summer signing Jeremy Doku has admitted they first contacted him several months ago about a switch to the Etihad.
The winger has been speaking to RTL in Belgium regarding his move to the Etihad, which was finalised at the end of last month.
Doku had been at Stade Rennais in France following a move from RSC Anderlecht in 2020 but had only managed 12 goals and 10 assists in 92 games for the club since his arrival.
It mean initial talk of Manchester City being keen was taken with a pinch of salt, with many questioning why they would be interested in the 21-year-old, particularly as a replacement for Riyad Mahrez.
A deal was eventually done for €60m despite that and, according to Doku, the interest was a longstanding one anyway.
“The first contacts were at the end of the season. I’m not sure, as long as it’s not concrete, I’m busy with football. It’s not my job,” he said.
“The team is great, but I wanted to know what my role was. That’s what will attract me, being there and saying that I play for Manchester City.
“I spoke with the sports director, with the coach. That’s the key moment. When the coach speaks to you, it’s not just anyone. He explains to you what the project is, that he trusts you, what you want to hear. I found him quite sincere. It made me happy and that’s when I made the decision.”
While Guardiola appears to have been the man to sway Doku, it also seems he was not the only man working to make the move a possibility.
Kevin de Bruyne was also doing his due diligence, with the Belgian very much a senior figure in the Manchester City dressing room at this point.
He knows Doku well after working alongside him for the Belgian national side, with Doku making his debut in September 2020.
And the youngster admits there was contact with the midfielder before the move happened, although they’ve only met once since.
“He played a role. I knew he was there. He spoke to me when he heard the rumours, he asked me for confirmation,” he added.
“They asked him for information about me. He apparently said some positive things, which is good. We stayed in touch, when I had questions, I asked them.
“When I came, he wasn’t there, he was having an operation. I saw him just on the last day in Manchester for the match.”
