Arsenal join race to sign Rennes Teenage Sensation Desire Doue

According to the latest reports in France, Arsenal have expressed interest in signing Stade Rennes winger Désiré Doué during this upcoming transfer window. However, the Gunners will face stiff competition from a host of top European clubs for the prodigy.

Désiré Doué is the product of the Stade Rennais academy. He began his youth career with the French club at the age of 5. The youngster developed his skills, gained speed and strength while playing for the club’s various youth teams from 2011 to 2021.

Eventually, the 18-year-old was promoted to Rennes’ senior team in 2022 and signed his first professional contract. On the other hand, the teenager made his debut for the French junior team in 2021 at the U17 level. He has also represented the country at U19 and U21 levels.

According to French publication Ouest France (via Metro), Arsenal have expressed keen interest in acquiring the services of Stade Rennais teenage sensation Désiré Doué. The north Londoners are set to compete with many of Europe’s top clubs for his signature.

The Gunners are looking to strengthen their squad and sign a winger this summer. Manager Mikel Arteta wants to add cover to his existing attackers and sees the youngster as a perfect candidate. The Frenchman can become a long-term asset for the club, given his skills and talent.

The Ligue 1 side wanted to keep the 18-year-old for at least one more season before deciding to sell him. However, Rennes have failed to qualify for any European competitions this season, having finished 10th in Ligue 1 and could therefore be forced to cash in on the young winger.

Manchester United and Arsenal remain interested in Désiré Doué, with both having made initial contact with the player’s representatives in May.

Talks are currently on hold while Doué focuses on his Olympic responsibilities with France. pic.twitter.com/OhIRwQ2NNx

— SCOOP. (@AcademyScoop) June 18, 2024

However, several clubs follow the French junior international. French champions PSG are showing great interest in signing the player. On the other hand, Manchester United are also closely monitoring the youngster while Bundesliga clubs Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig are also interested.

Among all the competitors, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United are the main challengers in terms of funding who can compete with Arsenal for Désiré Doué. The report claims Rennes could ask for around €66 million, but no official figures have been cited.

Désiré Doué made 31 Ligue 1 appearances for Stade Rennais in the recently concluded 2023-24 season, tallying 4 goals and 5 assists (stats via Transfermarkt). These statistics do not give a complete picture of the Frenchman’s abilities.

Arsenal on Désiré Douè 😍pic.twitter.com/gGM4wHb568

— 🔴 infernALE⚫️ Waiting for Tiago Santos. Day 111 (@infernALE96) May 21, 2024

He is lively and has excellent dribbling skills. The winger is clean, tactful and quite superb with the ball at his feet. The youngster leads the team’s statistics for successful dribbles per match (with an average of 2.1) while his 64 successful dribbles place him fifth in Ligue 1.

The prodigy has been considered one of France’s most promising talents, given his immense potential. The 18-year-old has represented the national team at all youth levels and is expected to play a leading role in Thierry Henry’s Olympic squad. Rennes boss Julien Stephan recently spoke out about the reported interest in the teenager (via Mirror):

“We know today’s market, especially for very young players. He will decide by his ambition. I’m not naive.

“We are happy to have developed it during the second part of the season. He risks leaving without a single full season here, which is a shame. I would have liked that; that would have been an ideal situation.

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So let’s wait and see what the attacker’s next destination will be. Coming to Arsenal will indeed give Desire Doue a bigger and better step to develop. He will have the opportunity to work with some of the best coaches and hone his skills. All of this will be crucial to realizing its potential.

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