Why Liverpool should reignite their interest in Jeremy Doku

Reputed journalist Kristof Terreur (h/t Liverpool Echo) has revealed that Liverpool tried to sign Belgian wonderkid Jeremy Doku a couple of years ago. The insider’s revelation comes after the 18-year-old scored on his first senior international start for Belgium as Roberto Martinez’s side thrashed Iceland 5-1 in their UEFA Nations League Group B clash.

The journalist has thrown light on how the Premier League champions invited Doku and his family for a stadium tour and even included a special clause in their agreement to sell Lazar Markovic to Anderlecht in order to facilitate negotiations with the youngster.

Despite Jurgen Klopp personally speaking to Doku back then, Liverpool’s efforts went in vain as the teenager opted to further his development at his boyhood club. (h/t Liverpool Echo)

Profile

Jeremy Doku started his youth career at Beerschot before joining Anderlecht’s academy in 2012. The highly-rated forward spent six years in the club’s youth system before making his senior professional debut against Saint-Truiden back in November 2018, aged just 16.

Doku made only 5 league appearances in his debut season but he established himself in a more prominent role last term. He accumulated 3 goals and 4 assists in 21 outings for Anderlecht. The teenager has made a promising start to the ongoing Belgian Pro League campaign, bagging a goal and an assist in 4 games so far.

The 18-year-old’s stocks are currently soaring higher than ever following his latest heroics for Belgium. Doku made his debut for the national team as a late substitute in a 2-0 win over Denmark in the UEFA Nations League before capping off his first start with his first senior international goal as Martinez’s side beat Iceland 5-1.

Liverpool should go back in the market for Doku

Jeremy Doku has been held in high regard ever since his childhood days in Anderlecht’s academy. The 18-year-old’s recent emergence on the international scene comes as a timely reminder of his incredible potential. 

That he made his senior league debut for Anderlecht at the tender age of 16 is indicative of a level of maturity that belies his tender years. There aren’t too many footballers from the elite nations in Europe who earn their first international cap at just 18. Doku has now joined the select group. 

Liverpool have scoured the continent for exciting prospects like Ki-Jana Hoever, Sepp van den Berg and Harvey Elliott over the past couple of years in a bid to unearth the next gem. To that end, it should be a no-brainer for the Reds to reignite their interest in Jeremy Doku following his latest heroics for Belgium on the international front.

The Reds don’t really need to make any wholesale changes to their forward line. The likes of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah are widely regarded as the best goalscorers on the planet. But it’s important for Klopp to keep an eye on the future. 

Hence, the English champions should try to get their hands on a promising youngster like Doku with a view to integrating him in the first-team mix over the next 3-4 years. The 18-year-old is likely to emerge as an in-demand prospect in the coming days if he continues to develop at such a rapid rate and Liverpool need to start monitoring him closely once again.

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Verdict

Jeremy Doku might not fit the bill as an immediate game-changer at Liverpool, who already have some world-class players in front of goal. Considering his vast potential though, the Reds would be smart enough to complete a deal for him and then loan him back to Anderlecht to allow him to further his development with regular game time.