Manchester City are set to sign Jeremy Dockoo as a replacement for Riyad Mahrez.
Transfer market pundit Fabrizio Romano announced on his social media accounts on Wednesday (April 22) that “Dokou is heading to City. A verbal agreement has been reached for a total transfer fee of €60 million. A medical is scheduled for later this week. Dokou has already reached personal agreement with City on a long-term contract,” the club said, adding “HERE WE GO,” a phrase used when a transfer is imminent.
City have made the right signings at the right time this summer. They brought in Mateo Kovacic to fill the void left by Ilkay Gundogan and brought in Yossouko Gvardiol to strengthen their center backs. Together, the two players cost the club around €120 million. That’s not a lot of money for a team with so much capital.
This is due to the fact that many of their key players stayed. Of course, there were other departures besides Guindoan. One of them is Mahrez. Mahrez joined City in 2018. He played a key role in Leicester City’s 2015-16 English Premier League (EPL) title, which made him very valuable, and he’s been in a City jersey ever since.
Mahrez scored five goals and provided 10 assists in 30 league appearances (22 starts, 8 substitutions) last season. He also played nine games in the UEFA Champions League (UCL), scoring three goals and providing two assists. He did enough to help City win the treble but was linked with a move away from the club ahead of the season, eventually leaving for Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli.
Since then, there have been rumors of a replacement. At first, Kaoru Mitoma, a 26-year-old Japanese winger who plays for Brighton, was mentioned. Mitoma joined Brighton from Kawasaki Frontele (Japan) in 2021. Due to a work visa issue, he was sent on loan to Royal Winnion Saint-Gilles in the Belgian League to get acclimatized to life in Europe.
He returned to Brighton ahead of last season. Mitoma’s game changed under Roberto De Zerbi, as he showed off his excellent dribbling ability, scoring seven goals and providing six assists in 33 league appearances. 안전놀이터
On June 6, global media outlet ESPN reported, “Man City could target Mitoma as a replacement for Mahrez. Mahrez has left for Saudi Arabia. Pep Guardiola is interested in Mitoma because he doesn’t have many options on the flanks at the moment,” reported ESPN. However, the talks have not reached a concrete stage.
Meanwhile, another signing is on the horizon. Dokuda. Dokuda is a 21-year-old Belgian rookie. He made his professional debut with Anderlecht and has been at Stade Rennes since 2020. He made his presence felt last season, scoring six goals and adding two assists in 29 Ligue 1 games (13 starts, 16 substitutions). He also averaged 4.5 dribbles per game, which is why City chose him with the future in mind.