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Doku signs new Man City deal: Why he’s the Premier League’s best winger – and it’s not even close
Updated: 13 Aug 2026 12:45 BST |
4 min read
Analysis
Manchester City have announced that Jeremy Doku has signed a new five-year deal with the club.
Signed in a €60 million deal from Rennes in the summer of 2023, Doku has gradually established himself as one of the most devastating wingers in the Premier League thanks to the combination of his explosive pace, stock strength and, of course, devilish dribbling abilities.
“I was speaking with my father about a player I had noticed from the stands because of his pace. The player was Doku at Rennes. In my five years as a pro, I had never seen someone with so much explosivity in his first steps,” Kylian Mbappe said of the Belgian, who was then playing in Ligue 1.
Current ETV
Jérémy Doku
F, M (L)
Man City
Jérémy Doku
F, M (L)
Man City
ETV Range
€56.9M - €69.6M
Doku may have received the stamp of approval from the Real Madrid ace, but he remains a player widely underappreciated away from the Etihad Stadium.
When it came to nominations for the Premier League Fan Team of the Season, for example, Doku was nowhere to be seen, despite his attractive playing style. Wolves’ Mateus Mane, with two goals and one assist, was among the players nominated ahead of him.
One reason for this may be a lack of devastating output so far in the Premier League. Although he has hit double figures in goal contributions in each of his three seasons since arriving in Manchester, his numbers have been comparatively modest, especially in an attack that is overwhelmingly dominated by the goals for Erling Haaland.
But scratch beneath the surface, and Doku is becoming an increasingly dominant presence in England’s top-flight, underlining why City have been so keen to tie him down to a five-year deal.
Doku is head and shoulders above his rivals
Doku was the most devastating winger in the Premier League last season – and it wasn’t even close. That’s the opinion of SciSports, whose data-driven analysis has placed the stocky Belgian well clear of his rivals.
Much of this owed to his attacking qualities. He rated best among Premier League wingers in offensive positioning last season, according to SciSports, but he also placed in the top five in terms of passing, crossing, dribbling and finishing.
Indeed, the only offensive aspect in which Doku struggled was ball retention, which only highlights the daring and risk-taking nature of his game.
The only player who got significant minutes to get anywhere near him was team-mate Rayan Cherki, with Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka the best of the rest in terms of those who had featured for at least 100 minutes.
What must excite new manager Enzo Maresca most is that there is more to come. Doku’s defensive work can be tidied up, for example. He did not place in the top third of players in any of SciSports’ categories.
His overall level, meanwhile, continues to rise slowly but steadily.
When Doku arrived at Man City, he was initially seen as a luxury player who was too wasteful and too inconsistent with the ball. Three years on, those issues are gradually being ironed out, to the point that City have been happy to hand him a new long-term contract.
If he can continue to improve his efficiency into greater end product, the gap between his reputation and his actual level will become impossible to ignore.
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