Eden Hazard believes Manchester City are currently in possession of ‘a top player’ who could go on to have a brilliant future.
City have a plethora of brilliant players in their squad, which has been carefully constructed over the years by sporting director Txiki Begiristain, who has obviously worked closely with Pep Guardiola.
It is widely accepted that City now have one of, if not the strongest squad in football.
The squad has a mix of youth and experience, and almost all of the players can play in several different positions. All of them are technical, and all of them work their socks off.
Last summer, City completed a £55 million move for Jeremy Doku, who impressed in his first campaign.
In the eyes of Eden Hazard, Doku stands to become a serious player.
Eden Hazard is a big fan of ‘top’ Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku
Doku joined City from Rennes last summer, and fans were instantly excited to see what he would deliver.
Fans had been very used to watching ‘technical wingers’ like Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish, who are players that provide control.
Doku was known for being a real direct livewire at Rennes, so fans were really intrigued to watch him in action in a patient, possession-based side.
The £50,000-a-week gem certainly enjoyed himself in 2023/24, making 43 appearances, scoring six goals and making 10 assists.
Respectable numbers in his first term, and supporters are really excited to see what kind of level he could reach once he gets to his mid-to-late twenties.
One man who really rates Doku is Eden Hazard, who spoke about the City livewire ahead of Belgium’s opening game of Euro 2024 against Slovakia.
He said in a feature (ITV Sport): “We have Doku, he’s a top player already. He’s still young, I think he’s only 20/21. He’s going to have a great future, I think.”
Doku is a rough diamond
Doku can be delighted with how his first season went at City.
It is never easy for a young player to come to a new league. And it’s especially never easy when you’re joining a club who have just won a Treble.
Doku was a bit inconsistent at times in 2023/24. But that was always to be expected. At the moment, he is a rough diamond, which was a verdict Gary Neville dropped earlier this year.
There is no doubt about his potential though. Doku has all the makings of a truly scary winger, and the key for him will be to make sure he has a consistent end product.
Doku can often beat a man no problem thanks to his rapid acceleration and dribbling. But it’s all about when he has to deliver, and once he becomes more reliable at the end then he will be an incredible forward.