Why Arsenal and Man Utd are courting Rennes sensation Desire Doue

The English translation for Desire Doue is ‘desired gift’ - and this quite apt given the level of interest in the young Stade Rennais player today. 

At 18 years old, Doue is considered to be one of the most gifted teenage talents in European football.  

Despite his age, he possesses a strong build and is known for being well equipped with two talented feet as well as breathless striking power.  

Already Doue has been linked to Premier League elite sides, such as Arsenal and Manchester United, with an asking price thought to be around €35.5m.  

Desire Doue Transfer Value - how much is he worth now?    

According to FootballTransfer's Player Valuation Model, Doue has a current Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €21m, while we have him as being the fifth best future French player in the world.   

What does Desire Doue bring to the table?    

Doue has been compared to Wayne Rooney owing to his great strength on the ball but stylistically he collates more to Zinedine Zidane. 

Like the France legend, Doue is capable with both feet and has a wicked long-range drive when given the opportunity. 

He exudes confidence and possess carrying ability of an elite player. Doue is happy to be in enclosed spaces, where he uses his nimble feet to draw himself out of trouble. 

Featuring predominantly on the left-wing last season, Doue is an expert at getting the ball into central areas of the box. 

While Zidane also masterfully stroked the ball into dangerous areas, the youngster applies a touch more flair to his game - with deft touches and back-heels perfectly landing to teammates in space. 

Last year, Doue became the youngest goal scorer in Stade Rennais' history in European competition last year, at just 17 years old. And this feat becomes all the remarkable when you consider the talent that has emerged from the Rennais academy. The club has nurtured and brought out the likes of Ousmane Dembele, Eduardo Camavinga, and Mathys Tel, who are all now playing for clubs in the highest echelon of football.  

Speaking to TNT Sports, Rennes midfielder Baptiste Santamaria discussed how brilliant Doue had been in the club’s famous youth setup. "He's one of a kind: he likes to hit the ball but he's solid on his feet. Desire's technical, percussive and physical qualities are quite incredible. When he becomes more consistent, he'll be unplayable. For his age, he's the most gifted youngster I've seen in my career." 

Doue ranks well for WhoScored, being deemed ‘very stong’ at dribbling, as well as ‘strong’ for long-shots and defensive contributions. Doue has nine goal contributions in 40 games, earning the Player of the Match accolade four times. It must be noted, too, that from his 31 outings for Rennais, 14 of those have come from the bench. 

As per WhoScored, Doue takes 2.3 shots every 90 minutes as well as completing 3.4 successful dribbles in the same time, from 5.8 attempts. Despite being an attacker, he attempted three tackles per 90, and is successful with 1.8 of those. Such variety shows why Rennais coach Julien Stephan has sometimes used Doue as in the No.10 role as well as a No.8 in the centre. 

Doue is contracted to Roazhon Park until 2026 but has reportedly piqued the interest of some notable clubs. It’s not clear whether a move away at this point is something that the youngster has in mind, especially as it will almost certainly see a reduction in minutes for him next campaign. 

But regardless of whether a move is triggered or not this summer, Rennais have a future star on their hands whose talent yields endless possibilities.

This article was provided by FootballTransfers