French football expert Jonathan Johnson has responded to the recent Liverpool transfer rumours involving Rennes winger Jeremy Doku.
Writing in his exclusive column for CaughtOffside, Johnson has stated that he’s aware of long-standing interest from Liverpool and others in Doku, though he’s not currently aware of anything concrete happening with the Reds despite reports from reputable French sources.
It may be that Liverpool would do well to consider this talented 21-year-old in what is likely to be a major shake-up of their squad this summer, with Jurgen Klopp needing to rebuild after a difficult season last term.
Johnson rates Doku highly, but can also see why some top clubs might not quite be ready to gamble on him yet as he’s not always been the most consistent performer, particularly when it comes to his end-product.
“We’re seeing stories again of Jeremy Doku being a target for Liverpool, this time from L’Equipe, who tend to be a very reliable source. From my understanding, Doku is a player who’s been on their radar and on the radar of numerous other top clubs for years and years now,” Johnson said.
“There have been moments when he’s looked on the verge of tapping into that enormous potential that I think everyone knows he has, and that explosive pace is very eye-catching – that’s what a lot of people like about him, but there’s more to his game than that and I think he’s starting to show that side of himself as well.
“My personal opinion, however, is that he’s probably not quite ready to jump straight up to a club like Liverpool at this moment in time. Having said that, where Liverpool are right now after a difficult season of missing out on the top four meaning they’re not going to be in the Champions League next season, and they’re not necessarily seen as one of the main challengers for the Premier League title, it could make it more of an interesting prospect. Jurgen Klopp is likely in something of a rebuilding process now, and so that could open the door to a different profile of signing.
“Whether that means a move for Doku, I’m not sure, but it’s easy to see why he might see playing under Klopp as good for his development, so maybe he will become more of a player of interest as the summer goes on.
“Still, the noise from France right now is that their focus at the moment is on signing Khephren Thuram from Nice, so we’ll see what happens there, but I think Doku could be one that a lot of clubs will look at in the next few weeks, but whether they firm up their interest or just see him as more of a Plan B remains to be seen.”
Liverpool will surely prioritise other areas for now, with Klopp already well stocked in attack with recent signings like Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz.
LFC SHOULD STOP THINKING AND JUST FREAKIN BUY ALREADY! WISH WE HAD WARD OR EDWARDS COS THIS NEW DUDE SCHMADTKE IS A WASTE !!!