After a relatively low-key transfer window, Manchester City have kicked into gear recently with the signing of Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig and the sale of Aymeric Laporte to Al Nassr. Now, it looks like they are on the verge of announcing their latest acquisition – Jeremy Doku from Rennes.
City and Rennes have agreed a fee for the 21-year-old and he will now travel to Manchester to sign a long-term contract with the club and undergo a medical. Once all that has been sorted, Doku will officially be a Manchester City player and he could even make his debut next weekend when Guardiola's men travel to Bramall Lane to take on Sheffield United.
If Doku does go straight into the starting eleven then there are a variety of options available to Guardiola due to the versatility of his new signing. Let's run through the three most likely scenarios.
Doku on the right wing
One of the most fascinating things about Jeremy Doku is the fact that he is very two-footed. Along with his pace, his ability to go both ways when running at defenders makes him one of the most unpredictable forwards in world football. His direct approach is necessary at City, particularly after Riyad Mahrez's departure and he will provide them with something different when compared to the more “predictable” wing play of the likes of Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva.
Due Mahrez's departure, it is likely that Doku will find himself operating on the right wing to begin with. Although he is two-footed, he does marginally prefer to use his right which means City fans can expect him to get in behind defences and down the byline rather than cutting infield like their other wingers.
Playing in this style should only help Erling Haaland who, despite scoring more than 50 goals last season, was occasionally left frustrated with the lack of crosses into the box. Doku will provide him with plenty of crosses from the right channel and the pair should, in theory at least, strike up a formidable partnership.
Doku on the left wing
Another option for Doku, as he showed time and time again at Rennes, is to play on the left wing. When the 21-year-old operates from this side, he plays more like a “typical” Guardiola winger – cutting in on to his favoured right foot before passing it to a midfield player or taking a shot at goal.
If Doku has been signed to play on the left wing then he will have some work to do to muscle his way into the starting eleven. Jack Grealish, despite his sluggish start to the season, was a mainstay in this position throughout City's treble-winning season last year while Phil Foden also prefers to play on the left despite being left-footed.
If he finds himself on the left, then for the first time since Leroy Sane was at the club, City will have an uber-direct winger operating on the left-hand side which will only make them more dangerous in forward positions. While Grealish has his strengths, the blistering pace of Doku will be hard to bench.
Doku behind Haaland
Pep Guardiola isn't exactly known for convention so it isn't completely out of the question that he moulds Doku into something completely different. For Rennes, he played solely as a winger on but could Guardiola have another position in mind for his new man?
On the opening day of the season, Kevin de Bruyne went off injured and has been ruled out for the next four months. That has left a significant hole in the Man City lineup, one that they were hoping would be filled by Lucas Paqueta. However, after betting allegations against the Brazilian, City called off their pursuit and are now on the verge of signing Doku.
Has Guardiola seen something in the Belgian that suggests he could fulfil the number ten role behind Erling Haaland in his lineup? He is two-footed, agile and has exceptionally good control for someone so quick – these are all qualities that lend themself to the number ten position. Julian Alvarez and Phil Foden have been interchanging in that position since de Bruyne was forced off against Burnley and they have done well but Doku might be an even better fit.
