Jérémy Doku: Brilliant Belgian is blossoming at Manchester City

Doku's speed and power alongside his low centre of gravity and dribbling makes him almost unstoppable in 1v1 situations.

This is what most knew he could bring to a Manchester City side which has lacked a profile with pace and directness since the departure of Leroy Sane. But there were still some question marks about Doku’s end product when he arrived at the Etihad.

The Belgian had a goal contribution of just 0.37 per 90 minutes during his time at Stade Rennais. It was clear he needed to refine his game in the final third, as that number simply won't do at the highest level.

But with three goals and six assists in all competitions this season, his goal contribution has gone up to 1.21 per 90.

Brilliant Belgian blossoming at City

In the game against Bournemouth, Doku joined an exclusive list of players who have assisted four goals in a single Premier League match.

Even his manager Pep Guardiola exclaimed after the game: “Doku, wow! He's not just a player for 1v1. He surprised all of us! He's a great footballer”.

Such has been his impact on a treble-winning City side that he is proving to be one of the most well-rounded and potent attackers across Europe.

Jérémy Doku Transfer Value - how much is he worth?

According to our Player Valuation Model, Doku has a current Expected Transfer Value (xTV) €50 million. This is close to the €60 million fee City paid to bring him to the Etihad.

His unique skillset is now deployed in a team which consistently wins silverware and will likely see his value continue to rise over the coming years.

In recent years, Guardiola had shown a preference for technical, ball-to-feet-type wingers such as Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva, who are great at ball retention.

But that meant City did not have as many direct creative threats in their squad. Kevin De Bruyne is their main threat in this regard, but with him turning 33 next year, Doku was brought in to reinforce that area.

Although the idea would have been to slowly integrate him, the injury to De Bruyne has led to Pep using Doku more often than he would have liked.

Doku’s two-footedness has seen him excel on the left side this season, despite playing most of his minutes at Rennes on the right wing. This versatility has also led to him getting more minutes.

The Antwerp-born winger has relished this responsibility and flourished as the transitional threat who can consistently carry through the lines.

But is his improved end product down to the higher quality players that he is now playing alongside?

Doku numbers on the rise

Doku’s assists per 90 have had an exponential rise - up from 0.14 to 0.81 per 90 compared to last season. But he got those assists from just 0.34 expected assists (xA). This points to a huge over-performance.

When we analyse his assists this season, we see him do what he does best, which is to run at the opposition and use his trickery to attack the box and find a team-mate. But we also see some exceptional positioning and finishing from those teammates.

These are the same chances he was creating at Rennes but were simply not finished off in the same manner.

For his goal against Bournemouth, the 21-year-old did not only rely on his 1v1 ability, but instead used a quick one-two to create a shooting opportunity. It is unquestionable that he is also demonstrating a higher level of decision-making in his game.

What has not changed is that he is still the elite 1v1 player that we all knew. In the Premier League this season he is in the top 1% of wingers for successful take-ons, progressive carries and carries into the penalty area.

Such has been his impact that despite just arriving at the club, he is constantly being fed the ball. This shows up in how the winger received over 14 progressive passes per 90, which is another league-leading figure.

This higher involvement is also leading to him taking more shots and attempting more crosses each game.

The Belgian international seems to understand the high standard that is needed to establish himself in this City side. He has always been positionally disciplined, but we are also seeing an improvement in his defensive output which sees him make more tackles, interceptions and blocks per 90.

Doku’s explosiveness does him somewhat injury-prone, but if he can manage to stay fit we are in for some exciting viewing.

City, meanwhile, can celebrate another terrific signing.

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