Désiré Doué: Rennes Born And Bred
Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint Germain, among many other clubs, are all vying for the signature of Stade Rennais’s 19-year-old talent this summer, with the Frenchman set to join a list of names such as Eduardo Camavinga and Ousmane Dembele, all talents made in the Les Rouges et Noirs academy, but why exactly are clubs so desperate for Doué’s signature?
The Henri Guérin Training Centre
Did you know that Désire is already a history-maker? The Stade Rennais academy has a strict policy regarding youth signings, with the French side refusing to move for players nine years of age or younger until they laid eyes on the Frenchman. “He always had a ball at his feet and was already at the top in terms of motor skills. You quickly see it when a little one has so much control, it catches the eye,” said the Youth coach, Florent Bourcie, who was in charge of the decision to bring the child to Rennes.
And years later, that same youngster would explode onto the scene at the European U17 championships in 2022, the Frenchman played a key role in a team including the likes of Warren Zaire-Emery and Mathys Tel who beat The Netherlands 2-1 to win the tournament, following his European triumph, the youngster would make his first appearance for the club at just 17 years of age. Désire would go on to make multiple appearances for the club under former Head Coach Bruno Genesio, including a history-making goal in Europe to make him Rennes’s youngest-ever goalscorer in European competition. The Frenchman is also the youngest player ever to both score and assist in a Ligue One match.
Doue’s Progression:
Just two years on from that goal, the French teenager is now the most sought-after talent in Europe. Under current head coach Julien Stéphan, the Frenchman has thrived, making 32 appearances for the club in the league last season, with over half of them coming from a starting position.
“Do I expect not to see Désiré Doué again? That he is being courted is not a surprise.“
Julien Stéphen on Désiré Doué’s potential departure this summer.
The 19-year-old was statistically the best winger in the world under the age of 19, ranking amongst the best in the world for successful dribbles, attacking actions, offensive duels, and passing. Also according to a report at the beginning of the season by Scouted50, the Frenchman is in the top 20 for the highest potential players across the whole of Europe.
With the recent widely reported departure of Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid, PSG are set to look at Désire as their heir apparent and successor to the French star, but how exactly would the French prodigy fit into the Paris Saint Germain tactical setup under current head coach Luis Enrique.
While being tactically fluid, the Spanish manager’s preferred starting formation was a basic 4-3-3 setup that saw Mbappe being deployed out on the wing, this formation is one Luis Enrique is most known for, and is unlikely to change even following the departure of their star player, with the assessment being that Désire would play the role of the Frenchman if he were to make the move to Paris.
PSG’s game is mostly centred around slow-build and possession, in fact, PSG had an average possession of 70.3% in Ligue 1 this season and a 90.9% passing accuracy. Enrique demands that his players have the ability to both hold onto the ball and be able to pass it accurately, making Désire the perfect player for his system, the Frenchman boasts an incredible combination of both Progressive Carrying and Progressive Passes, ranking not only in the upper 95th percentile for successful dribbles, but also with some of the highest xA for players under 19 in the whole of Europe, up there with the likes of Euro 2024’s top playmaker in Lamine Yamal.
In transition, the Spanish manager likes to utilise his team’s tactical fluidity to form a high defensive line back- three with a defensive midfielder sitting in front of the defence to guard it. This tactical change limits the amount of defensive work the front 3 and Mbappe are forced to put in, a tactical decision that suits Doué, who with his small frame that can be dominated physically, is statically quite weak defensively.
looking at this tactical breakdown of Luis Enrique’s tactical shapes vs. Montpellier HSC, courtesy of Dan Perez @_Dan_Perez_ of L’Équipe. You might notice the freedom, Kylian Mbappe was given across the front three last season, with the tactical system changing fluidly depending on the position the Frenchman was playing
The Frenchman was given the keys to practically free-roam the attacking third without any defensive responsibilities. Looking at Désire’s heatmap, courtesy of Sofascore. You can see quite clearly how the French youngster covered an extreme amount of ground in the final third, making him the perfect player to play a similar role to the recently departed Kylian Mbappe.
With the Olympic games on the horizon, Désire Doué will most likely have his mind preoccupied by the decision he has to make this Summer, with PSG and Bayern Munich competing for the Frenchman’s signature. according to Transfermarket, the French youngster is currently valued at around 30 million euros, but Stade Rennes will undoubtatedly be asking for much more for the player.
Recent reports from Fabrizio Romano indicate that PSG are pushing highly to land the player this summer, and the ball has just been thrown back into the Parisian side’s corner following a recent report from Florian Plettenburg that Bayern Munich are set to move away from the player to focus on the capture of Dutch talent Xavi Simons.
No matter where Désire goes this summer, the Frenchman is undoubtedly set to be the next big thing in French Football, with the track record that the Stade Rennes academy has with players like Camavinga, we could very well see Doué lifting European trophies and tearing up the international scene soon.
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