Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, on the 22nd (Korean time), shared on his social media: “Doku is heading to Man City. An oral agreement has been reached at a transfer fee of 60 million euros (approximately 876 billion won). A medical test is scheduled for this weekend. Doku has already agreed on a long-term contract with Man City,” adding the phrase ‘HERE WE GO,’ which he typically uses to indicate an imminent transfer.
This summer, City made targeted signings. They brought in Mateo Kovacic to fill the void left by İlkay Gündoğan, and to strengthen their center-back options, Josko Gvardiol was signed. The combined transfer fees for the two players was roughly 120 million euros (about 1,754 billion won). Given their메이저사이트 기준 immense financial power, they didn’t spend extravagantly.
A key reason was the retention of core players. However, departures still took place, one of them being Mahrez. Having joined City in 2018 after increasing his worth with Leicester City’s Premier League win in the 2015-16 season, Mahrez had an impactful last season with 5 goals and 10 assists in 30 league appearances. He also contributed 3 goals and 2 assists in 9 UEFA Champions League games. Despite this, there were rumors about his departure before the start of this season, and he eventually moved to Al Ahli in Saudi Arabia.
After this, speculations about a potential replacement began. Initially, 26-year-old Japanese winger Kaoru Mitoma, playing for Brighton, was mentioned. Having left Kawasaki Frontale in 2021 for Brighton, he had a stint on loan at Royal Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium due to work permit issues.
Upon returning to Brighton before the start of the previous season, Mitoma’s fortunes changed under manager Roberto De Zerbi. With impressive dribbling skills, he played in 33 league games, scoring 7 goals and providing 6 assists. ESPN reported on the 6th, “Man City could target Mitoma as a replacement for Mahrez. With Mahrez’s departure and not many wing options available, Pep Guardiola seems interested토토사이트 순위 in Mitoma.” However, talks didn’t progress to advanced stages.
Meanwhile, another player’s acquisition seems imminent: Jeremy Doku. The 21-year-old Belgian prodigy made his professional debut at Anderlecht and has been playing for Stade Rennais since 2020. Last season, he made his mark in Ligue 1 with 6 goals and 2 assists in 29 games (13 starts and 16 as a substitute). Notably, he boasted an average of 4.5 dribbles per game. With this in mind, Man City opted for Doku, considering him a potential asset for the future.