How close Liverpool came to signing Jeremy Doku before £55m Man City deal – Liverpool FC

Man Metropolis have agreed a £55.5 million deal to signal winger Jeremy Doku, who on a number of events noticed Liverpool roll out the purple carpet for him.

Doku is about to change into the third signing of the summer time on the Etihad, following Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic, with an settlement struck with Rennes.

In keeping with Sky Sports activities, the Manchester aspect can pay round £55.5 million for the 21-year-old, who has emerged as one of the crucial thrilling attacking skills in Europe.

Whereas it can’t be thought of a blow for Liverpool, given the wealth of expertise they boast within the last third, it doesn’t come with out their very own makes an attempt to signal Doku.

In reality, the teen has twice turned down a transfer to Anfield up to now, with the membership’s first try coming in 2018.

The winger’s father, David Doku, defined how the membership pulled out all of the stops to tempt his son to affix throughout a go to to Melwood.

“Klopp defined how he noticed a possible successor to Sadio Mane in Jeremy,” he informed Het Nieuwsblad in 2020.

“On the age of 16, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Man Metropolis, Ajax and PSV have been . We then visited golf equipment like Liverpool and Ajax. My choice was Liverpool.

“Steven Gerrard confirmed us movies with tactical evaluation. On the coaching advanced Mignolet, Mane and Wijnaldum got here to speak to us. How we have been obtained there – rattling!”

Regardless of the advances from Liverpool, and each legendary figures and fellow Belgians assembly {the teenager}, Doku opted to stick with Anderlecht.

He finally made the swap to Rennes in 2020, however not earlier than one other supply from Merseyside, because the winger himself informed Het Nieuwsblad two years in the past.

“I did a whole lot of analysis first, wrote down all of the constructive factors and solely then did I decide,” he defined.

“I knew that I first needed to make an intermediate step. Going to a high membership now can be too quickly.

“I nonetheless have lots to be taught and Rennes is the perfect place for that.

“As quickly as I’m requested if I remorse it, I at all times say no, as a result of if Liverpool got here to me at 15, in the event that they like me, they’ll come again later, that’s sure. It’s as much as me to play nicely.”

Whereas Doku is primarily a proper winger, and Ben Doak serves as the one pure backup to Mohamed Salah at this stage, it’s no shock that Liverpool didn’t pursue him once more this summer time.

With Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota additionally firmly in place, there are greater priorities elsewhere with regards to recruitment.

Doku’s transfer to a “high membership” comes as an alternative, then, to Man Metropolis, the place he’ll fill the void left by Riyad Mahrez following his transfer to Al-Ahli.