Jérémy Doku is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Manchester City in the Premier League and for the Belgium national team.
Early and Education
Jérémy Baffour Doku was born on May 27, 2002 in Antwerp, Belgium, and is of Ghanaian descent. He is the second child of David and Belinda Doku, with an older brother and two younger sisters. His father is a former athlete, and his brother Jefferson was part of Anderlecht’s youth academy. Despite Doku’s early passion for football, his parents prioritized his education. He attended primary school in Antwerp and later a boarding school in Brussels, balancing his studies with football training.
Career
Jérémy Doku began his football career at a young age in Antwerp, playing for KVC Olympic Deurne and Tubantia Borgerhout before joining Beerschot. In 2012, at the age of 10, he moved to Anderlecht. Doku made his professional debut with Anderlecht on November 25, 2018, in a 4–2 loss to Sint-Truiden in the Belgian First Division A, becoming the club’s seventh-youngest debutant at 16 years, 5 months, and 26 days old.
On December 1, 2019, he scored his first professional goal in a league match against KV Oostende, and four days later, he scored again in the Belgian Cup against Royal Excel Mouscron.
On October 5, 2020, Doku signed a five-year contract with Rennes for €26 million plus bonuses, making him the club’s most expensive signing. Initially, he struggled to make an impact but began to find his form in December, assisting in matches against Marseille and Lorient. He scored his first goal for Rennes on March 20, 2021, against Metz but was later sent off in the same game.
In his second season, injuries limited Doku to 14 Ligue 1 appearances, where he managed one goal. On January 2, 2022, he scored in the Coupe de France against Nancy, but Rennes lost on penalties after a 1–1 draw.
In the 2022–23 season, Doku started mainly as a substitute but became a starter towards the end of the season. After Kamaldeen Sulemana’s departure, Doku took the number 10 shirt. On February 12, 2023, he played his first full 90 minutes since May 2021, and he later assisted in both legs of the Europa League play-off against Shakhtar Donetsk. On April 15, Doku scored his first brace for Rennes in a 3–0 win over Reims, followed by another brace against Angers on April 30. He ended the season with six league goals, helping Rennes secure a fourth-place finish. Doku scored in Rennes’ opening match of the 2023–24 Ligue 1 season against Metz on August 13 and played his final match for Rennes on August 20. The next day, Rennes accepted a £55 million (€65 million) offer from Manchester City.
On August 24, 2023, Manchester City announced Doku’s signing on a five-year contract, giving him the number 11 shirt. He debuted on September 2 in a 5–1 victory over Fulham and scored his first goal for City on September 16 in a 3–1 win over West Ham United. City manager Pep Guardiola praised his performance, calling him a “proper winger.” On October 4, Doku scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in a 3–1 win against RB Leipzig, also assisting Julián Álvarez earlier in the match. He continued his impressive form, including a standout performance on November 4, when he scored and assisted four times in a 6–1 win over Bournemouth, setting a Premier League record for the youngest player to provide four assists in a match.
Doku suffered a hamstring injury on December 3, which sidelined him for a month. He returned on January 7, scoring in a 5–0 FA Cup win over Huddersfield Town. On April 13, he was named man of the match in a 5–1 win over Luton Town, contributing a goal, an assist, and winning a penalty. In the Champions League semifinal against Real Madrid on April 17, Doku assisted Kevin De Bruyne’s equalizing goal. On April 20, he played a crucial role in the FA Cup semifinal against Chelsea, helping Bernardo Silva score the winning goal. Doku assisted Phil Foden in Manchester City’s 3–1 win over West Ham on May 19, securing the Premier League title for City.
Doku represented Belgium at the UEFA European Under-17 Championships in 2018 and 2019. He made his senior debut for Belgium on September 5, 2020, against Denmark in the UEFA Nations League, scoring his first international goal three days later against Iceland.
At UEFA Euro 2020, held in June 2021, Doku came on as a substitute against Denmark and started against Finland and Italy in the quarter-finals. In November 2022, he was included in Belgium’s squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, making his World Cup debut as a substitute against Croatia.
Following Eden Hazard’s retirement, Doku took on a more prominent role under manager Domenico Tedesco. On September 12, 2023, he was named man of the match after assisting in a 5–0 win over Estonia. He also assisted in Belgium’s 3–2 win over Austria on October 13, securing qualification for UEFA Euro 2024, and provided two assists in a 5–0 victory over Azerbaijan on November 22.
Net Worth
Undisclosed