Barcelona considering Doku move: Should City let him go?
Yesterday at 09:31 AM
Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku has been linked with a shock move to Barcelona in this winter transfer window.
It's been a busy January for the Sky Blues. They have already signed three new players—Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis. Marmoush and Khusanov made their debuts for Pep Guardiola's side in the 3-1 win over Chelsea last weekend, though the latter had a forgettable maiden outing in English football.
However, the big-money acquisition of Marmoush has put a couple of players' futures at Manchester City in jeopardy. One of those is Jeremy Doku, who is unhappy with his situation and contemplating a change of scenery.
According to a report from Spanish outlet SPORT, the Man City winger's agents have offered him to Barcelona on loan until the end of the season. Barcelona, for their part, will assess the proposal put forward by the player's agents, although the first response from the La Liga club is they don't have salary space.
In that regard, if Blaugrana want to make a new signing before the transfer window slams shut, they would have to offload players in order to free up the wage bill.
Jeremy Doku to Barcelona—Should Man City let him leave on loan?
Barcelona are considering several options to strengthen the left flank in their squad. The primary target reportedly appeared to be Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford all this time, although Jeremy Doku's name has popped up recently.
Doku has enjoyed a decent season amid Man City's struggles, registering six goals and seven assists in 22 games across all competitions. The Belgian trickster is currently out injured but there is a chance of him falling down the attacking pecking order following the recent arrival of Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt.
Thus, the 22-year-old's agents have been offering him to various European clubs including Barcelona. The Spanish giants could do with a more classic winger like Doku in Hansi Flick's system, someone who can beat a defender in 1v1 situations, hug the touchline as well as cut inside to pass or shoot and terrorise the opponent with his explosive pace.
However, Man City cannot afford to let Doku leave the club in this transfer window. The Cityzens have endured a turbulent last few months with injuries, form, performances and results. They are now in recovery mode, having climbed fourth in the Premier League following four wins in the last five games. And they have now refreshed the squad with three new signings, backing Guardiola during the most difficult phase of his career in England.
With the team now getting back into the groove, there is no point in allowing Doku to depart the Etihad Stadium. City need options all across the pitch to compete in the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup, and a player of Doku's quality is great to have as a starter and off the bench.
Given how important the diminutive Belgian has been to Guardiola's side, Man City must do everything possible to keep hold of Doku amid Barcelona links.
The post Barcelona considering Doku move: Should City let him go? appeared first on Mad About EPL.
