Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing Rennes attacker Jeremy Doku in the summer transfer window, but Aston Villa are also battling for his signature.
The Belgian has been around for a number of years now, despite still only being 21 years of age, winning 14 caps for Belgium and scoring two goals in that time.
At club level, Doku has registered 21 goal contributions (11 goals and 10 assists) in 90 appearances for Rennes, but after three years with the Ligue 1 club, a move away this summer could be on the cards.
According to Caught Offside, Liverpool are eyeing a move for the youngster before the new Premier League season gets underway, with Villa also in the same boat, as they continue to do good business under Unai Emery:
“Sources with a close understanding of the situation have informed CaughtOffside that Villa are currently showing the strongest interest in Doku, though they are also currently waiting to find out what happens with Moussa Diaby.
“Liverpool, meanwhile, have also made checks on Doku in recent times but are currently focused on strengthening other areas of their squad such as midfield and defence, even if there is a long-term appreciation of the Belgium international, whose current contract expires in 2025.”
Our thoughts on Liverpool’s interest in Doku…
There is no denying that Doku is an exciting young footballer, with Kylian Mbappe once even claiming that “in five years as a professional, I have never seen someone from a standing start demonstrate so much power”, which says so much about the blistering speed he possesses.
The only issue is how Jurgen Klopp would be able to juggle his attacking pack with the Rennes man in his squad as well, with Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo already fighting hard for minutes across four different competitions in 2023/24.
If Doku is happy to play a supporting role, then a move to Anfield would be an eye-catching one, but in terms of his development, remaining at Rennes for another could make more sense.
At that point, Liverpool could potentially snap him up for a cut-price amount, considering his current deal runs out in 2025, with Klopp continuing to rebuild his attack over time, as he has done to his midfield this summer.
