‘I spoke with Pep Guardiola, and obviously you don’t need a lot of convincing to go to Manchester City. He showed his interest in me, which made me comfortable signing’ Jeremy Doku on how his Etihad move came about

Person Player Jeremy Doku ‘I spoke with Pep Guardiola, and obviously you don’t need a lot of convincing to go to Manchester City. He showed his interest in me, which made me comfortable signing’ Jeremy Doku on how his Etihad move came about Features By Joe Mewis Contributions from Chris Flanagan published 31 May 2026 The Belgian international made the switch to Manchester City in the summer of 2023 When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Jeremy Doku joined Man City in the summer of 2023 (Image credit: Getty Images) Copy link Facebook X Pinterest Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter When Jeremy Doku arrived at Manchester City as a 21-year-old in August 2023, his brief was to turn his promising displays at Rennes and for the Belgian national side into sustained performances for one of the planet’s elite sides. That £55million move was made with both excitement and expectation in equal measure, not least on the part of the player himself, who wanted to be reassured that he would not become a mere squad option in Manchester City’s star-packed side that had just won their historic treble. Doku’s successful debut campaign at the Etihad would allay any fears either party may have had about the move and underlined just why Pep Guardiola was so keen to bring him to Manchester. You may like Endrick can't put into words what it meant to sign for Real Madrid Forgotten Manchester City star agrees new long-term deal: report ‘Jude Bellingham is a great man and a great friend. When I wasn’t playing much, I spoke to him about my future and he advised me to do what was best for my career’ Endrick on how the England star has helped his adapt at Real Madrid Doku on his Manchester City switch Get a Surfshark VPN in time for the World Cup! Pick up an extra three months of service and up to a $30 (£22) Amazon Gift Card when purchasing a two-year subscription plan. View DealDoku’s move came eight months after the 2022 World Cup, a tournament in which the winger’s involvement was minimal following a series of injury issues that had derailed his progress at Rennes, who he had joined in 2020. With his form and fitness coming back over the second half of the 2022/23 campaign, City had to see off West Ham to land the former Anderlecht youth product’s signature, with the recently departed Guardiola City’s trump card. West Ham had also been interested in signing Doku (Image credit: Getty Images)“I had a good season at Rennes and City were interested, although my club didn’t really want to let me leave,” Doku tells FourFourTwo. “I had a good relationship with the sporting director, though, and he told me that if City committed to a good amount, they’d let me leave, and that was what happened. I spoke with Pep and obviously you don’t need a lot of convincing to go to City.” Get the FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Even at the age of 21, Doku was mature enough to ask questions about the potential move. “I wanted to play, and I wanted to be sure that if I joined City, would I just be there to be there, or do they really count on me?” he continues. “But he showed his interest in me, which made me comfortable signing. “I had a trajectory in my mind when I was at Anderlecht: go from there to a team in the middle who would bring me to the top – then, City had just won the Treble, so there was no team more at the top than that! “That was my goal and it worked out, but I’m not the one directing my plan. It’s directed from above – I’m just living it.” Guardiola was key in convincing Doku to join Man City (Image credit: Naomi Baker/Getty Images)Doku needed just eight appearances to tie a Premier League record – the most assists in a single match, setting up four and scoring another in a 6-1 win over Bournemouth. “Like with Belgium, I wanted to prove in that first season that I belonged here, that I wasn’t an impostor,” he continues. “That game against Bournemouth was very good – some days, everything just works. I’ve had some games where I’ve played better, but you play a pass and somebody doesn’t score. “That was a game where every pass I gave, someone scored, and I ended with four assists and one goal.” TOPICS Manchester City Premier League Joe MewisSocial Links NavigationFor more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown. With contributions fromChris FlanaganSenior Staff Writer View More You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. 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