Strongly targeted by Liverpool in the past, Jérémy Doku stayed at Anderlecht longer than many thought he would, meaning until his 18th birthday, when Rennes in France, having just lost Raphinha to Leeds United, decided to spend £23m on his services.
Clearly an investment for the future, much like their previous purchase of Ismaïla Sarr back in 2017 for £15m, the young winger will be nurtured and developed until, eventually, being sold to a bigger club for a profit.
However, alongside Liverpool, Arsenal in the Premier League tried to get Doku at a young age, back when Joël Crahay was on the Gunners’ staff as a scout.
Now sporting director of Royal Union Saint Gilloise at youth level, the 58-year-old was once part of the London club’s recruitment network, where, among others, he made an effort to sign the 18-year-old.
He said: “A chapter of my career that taught a whole lot and that I still use to this day. Everything was done in the smallest detail. We’re talking about the best in the world”.
As for Doku, he added: “We were a small delegation from Arsenal, and we got in touch with his parents. We pushed to bring Doku to the club, but they trusted the project at Anderlecht. Credit to them”.
Despite only being 18, Doku already has 48 professional appearances to his name, during which he has managed to score six goals and seven appearances, all for Anderlecht.
