New Delhi: Rennes are a side that have long been known for producing brilliant academy talents that would become regular starters in the future. In addition to producing quality players like Yann M’Villa, Abdoulaye Doucouré, and Mathys Tel, the club has produced future stars like Ousmane Dembele and Eduardo Camavinga. Another name to be added to that list is their current teenage sensation Desire Doue.
The 19-year-old joined the club in 2011 aged five and made the step up from the youth academy to the reserve team in 2021 when he was just 16. He would make his first team breakthrough in the 2022/23 season before his performances last season drew the attention of all clubs across Europe. He got wider acclaim at the 2022 U-17 European Championships where he was a part of France’s title-winning squad.
Rennes seem prepared to lose their young upcoming star and have placed a hefty €60 million price tag on him. Tottenham seem to be interested in the French youth international while European superpowers like Bayern Munich and PSG are out in a bidding war for the 2005-born gem.
Who is the ‘next Zinedine Zidane’, Desire Doue?
Desire Doue is one of the hottest young prospects in France currently. (Photo by Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images)
Born into a footballing family, his brother and cousins are all footballers with his brother playing alongside him at Rennes. He showed enough talent in his early days which led to the club snapping him up when he was just five, breaking their policy of not signing anyone before the age of nine. “He always had a ball at his feet and was already at the top in terms of motor skills.” said one of his youth coaches, Florent Bourcie.
He made the squad for one game in the 2021/22 season but couldn’t make an appearance for the side that season. He’d make his debut in the 2022/23 season in a 1-0 loss to Lorient and would score his first goal in that season too, becoming the first player born in 2005 to score in any of the top five European leagues. Making 34 appearances all season, he scored four and assisted another for the club.
A versatile player, capable of playing anywhere across the midfield and attack, he made himself an integral part of the squad in the 2023/24 season and made 43 appearances in the season and contributed to 10 goals all season. Mainly playing as a central midfielder or an attacking midfielder, he is an excellent creative force in the side and ended the league season with four goals and four assists.
18 years old. Rennes’ star. Desiré Doué. 🇫🇷💎 pic.twitter.com/nwOYji1zF8
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) May 4, 2024
Moreover, he would create 31 chances for the side in the league last season, only less than the vice-captain Benjamin Bourigeaud. Doue adds a lot of attacking threat to his side as he’s a great dribbler, evidenced by his 64 successful dribbles in the league and garnered 79 touches in the opposition box while winning 55 fouls for his side. All these underlying stats showcase his attacking intent and how he supports the team in attack.
While being an attacking threat, he also puts in a shift defensively indicating he can be developed as a proper box-to-box midfielder. He won 157 of his duels in the Ligue 1 last season while also attempting 11 blocks. He was even responsible for winning the ball in the final third a total of 16 times in the league. He betters fellow France Youth International teammate Warren Zaire-Emery in all the aspects mentioned and Zaire-Emery made France’s UEFA Euro 2024 squad.
Transfer Battle for the Youngster
Both Kompany and Enrique are interested in bringing Doue to their club. (Credits: Getty Images)
Many top European sides were interested in signing the 19-year-old when the transfer window opened and quite a few of them are still monitoring the player. There was interest from Premier League clubs like Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Arsenal who were all keeping an eye on the player with Spurs being the one most interested in the midfielder.
Apart from the Premier League sides, both PSG and Bayern Munich are involved in a tussle with each other, trying to outbid the other. Both sides have seen a bid rejected for the Frenchman and Bayern have sent a second bid in excess of €40 million to convince the French side.
PSG, meanwhile, are trying to keep the youngster in France and have sent their second bid in as well which is rumoured to be a package of €60 million, which is the asking price Rennes have set. The final decision is expected to be up to the player himself as the final decision lies in his hand as he has to decide between the project presented to him by both sides.
It’ll be an interesting saga over the summer and it’ll be fascinating to see which of the two European giants come out on top in this battle for a highly-rated teenager.
Rennes’ 19-year-old French talent Desire Doue is the latest in a long line of talented youngsters coming out of France that is sending the footballing world into a frenzy. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
