The chance to learn under Pep Guardiola is one most young footballers would struggle to turn down and, unfortunately for West Ham United, that was very much the case for Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku.
Ahead of Saturday’s evening tussle between the relegation-battlers and the title-challengers, City’s barnstorming Belgian will make the trip down to the London Stadium.
An arena he could have been playing in on a bi-monthly basis, had West Ham United not been blown out of the water by the financial might of the perennial Premier League champions, not to mention the allure of a manager famed for turning raw ingredients into Michelin star meals.
Did you know we once bid £20m for Bruno Fernandes? 💸 🇵🇹
Which former target do you WISH we'd signed?
Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 2-0 during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on February 7, 2026 in Manchester, United Kingdom.
According to French publication Foot Mercato, West Ham made a ‘verbal offer’ for Jeremy Doku back in August 2023. A week later, Rennes would shake hands with Manchester City, with Doku making it clear that an apprenticeship under the great Guardiola was impossible to resist.
Who could blame him, really?
West Ham United tried to sign Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku
Foot Mercato reported, at the time, that Rennes had rejected West Ham’s offer, though the size of their bid was not disclosed. Presumably, it was quite a bit lower than the £55.5 million fee Man City parted with on August 25th.
“Manchester City are the best team in world football, so to be joining them is something very special for me and my family,” Doku said after picking the Champions League winners over the Conference League victors.
Swansea City v Manchester City - Carabao Cup Fourth Round
Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images
“I am a young player with so much learning and improving to do. Working with Pep and his staff, and playing alongside these world-class players, will make me a much better player.
MORE WEST HAM STORIES
“I feel sure of that.”
Three years, four trophies, 17 goals and 32 assists later, Doku’s decision has certainly had the effect he was hoping for. The Guardian stated that West Ham hoped the offer of regular first-team football would give them the edge over a power-packed City side.
Doku, though, has also started 66 games since crossing the Channel from Brittany to Britain. With Manchester City competing regularly on multiple fronts, the Antwerp-born 23-year-old has hardly been short of opportunities.
Start number 67 could be on the way this weekend, if indeed it does not come this evening against Real Madrid.
Doku made a fantastic City return for Pep Guardiola in the FA Cup
Doku made his return to the XI after a month out through injury during Man City’s 3-1 FA Cup quarter-final triumph away to Newcastle last time out. The irony will not be lost on Nuno Espirito Santo. He loses Crysencio Summerville as Guardiola re-gains Doku.
Hammers News can confirm that Summerville will be unavailable against Man City after picking up a calf issue in the FA Cup victory over Brentford.
If Summerville is out, who do YOU want to see start on the left?
Now, West Ham can boast one of the finest one-v-one defenders in the game; Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
‘The Spider’ will have to be at his most web-slingingly efficient up against Jeremy Doku, though. A winger so searingly quick that even the best-organised backlines often struggle to contain him.
“Newcastle don’t allow spaces, so you have to attack from wide,” Guardiola said after the former West Ham target assisted a goal for fellow wideman Savinho at St James’ Park. “Both [Savinho and Doku] were massive.
“Savinho was injured for two months and Jeremy was also injured for a long time. They help us a lot because, without proper wingers, it would have been much, much more difficult [to break down an organised Newcastle defence].”
A fortnight ago, West Ham faced one-tike striker target Hugo Ekitike and saw him fire Liverpool in front within five minutes at Anfield. Nuno Espirito Santo will be praying that history does not repeat itself when Man City come to town.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox