The winger played a surprisingly prominent role in the capital club's Ligue 1 triumph – and he might help them conquer Europe too
Desire Doue was always going to win Ligue 1 in his first season at Paris Saint-Germain. French football may be a fertile breeding ground for top talent – the Rennes academy product in question is proof of that fact – but the outcome of its top-flight title race is nearly always a foregone conclusion.
The Qatari state's support of PSG has killed any semblance of competition in Ligue 1, resulting in the capital club winning 11 of the past 13 championships, including the last four in a row. Still, if PSG's latest title triumph was painfully predictable, the crucial role that Doue played in it was anything but.
Granted, Doue had arrived at the Parc des Princes last summer touted as a player of enormous potential, but it was thought that he would take some time to settle into his new surroundings, particularly in light of the intense competition for places at PSG. And yet when Luis Enrique's star-studded squad needed a goal against Angers on Saturday to wrap up the title before their midweek Champions League quarter-final clash with Aston Villa, it was Doue who stepped up to the mark, netting the only but all-important goal in a 1-0 victory.
So, who is PSG's potential superstar? And how long before he starts piling pressure on some of his more senior colleagues for a starting spot? GOAL reveals all below…
Where it all began
Rennes normally don't sign players under the age of nine. They made an exception for a five-year-old Doue, though. His potential was that obvious and having already snapped up his older brother Guela, they agreed an unprecedented deal for Doue too.
It, thus, won't come as a surprise to learn that the prodigy progressed rapidly through the Rennes academy before making his debut as a 17-year-old on August 7, 2022.
At the end of the month, in a home win over Brest, he became the first player born in 2005 to score in one of Europe's 'Big Five' leagues. Then, just over five weeks later, he made more history, taking the mantle of France's youngest ever scorer in European club competition.
"He reads the game very well," former Rennes coach Bruno Genesio said at the time. "Technically, right foot and even left foot, he's complete, with good control on both.
"Away from the pitch he's a dream: easy, calm, with a streak of leadership whilst still asking for advice. He's both care-free and conscientious in his work. He's already a pro in his head."
AdvertisementThe big break
Rennes handed Doue a new contract shortly after his record-breaking exploits and, in 2023, he was given another 12-month extension until the summer of 2026 – but there was never any chance of him seeing it out.
By the end of last season, Europe's elite clubs were already sniffing around Roazhon Park. Across 76 appearances for Rennes in all competitions, Doue had already attracted the attention of every top scout in the game with his sensational dribbling skills.
Manchester United, Arsenal and Spurs were all keen on the player but not the price, while Barcelona prioritised their pursuit of Spain's Euro 2024 hero Nico Williams over signing an unproven teenager, thus leaving Bayern Munich and PSG to battle it out for Doue's signature.
According to widespread reports, both interested parties submitted €50 million bids, leaving Doue with a big decision to make. As far as he was concerned, though, it was a no-brainer, as he viewed his move to Paris as "a dream come true" – not least because it reunited him with Warren Zaire-Emery, with whom he had won a European Championship in 2022 with France's Under-17s.
How it's going
Luis Enrique never had any doubts over Doue's ability to integrate into the PSG dressing room. "There is no language barrier," he said. "He is from the country, he knows the culture."
However, while the coach didn't say it publicly – at least not initially – he did have some concern over whether Doue would struggle with the added scrutiny that comes with being a French player in the Parisian spotlight. Consequently, he managed his minutes carefully and made sure to protect him as much as possible for some of the criticism that came his way during a difficult first half of the season.
At that point, there were some concerns over whether Doue would find sufficient room to express himself at the Parc des Princes, particularly after the January arrival of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia from Napoli. PSG were well-stocked with wide attackers as it was, so the Georgian's arrival looked set to make life even more difficult for Doue.
However, after finally opening his PSG account just before Christmas, the 19-year-old has been a revelation from the turn of the year. A player who also struggled for goals at Rennes has propelled PSG to the final of the Coupe de France by netting once in each of the last four rounds, while he's also netted four times in his last five Ligue 1 games.
Unsurprisingly, Luis Enrique is attaching as little importance to the plaudits Doue is now receiving as he was the previous flak.
"I remember you criticised him," he made a point of reminding journalists just before Doue made his France debut last month. "Today, it’s praise, but one day the criticism will return because the elite level means you have to accept that when you’re not at your best.
"Doue needed months to adapt. Succeeding at PSG as a Frenchman is tougher. But now he's reaping the rewards of his hard work. There’s still plenty to do, but he’s at the right place and club to grow and play high-stakes matches."
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Biggest strengths
Although primarily a winger by trade, Doue is, just like many of his fellow forwards at the Parc des Princes capable of fulfilling a number of different attacking roles – which is one of the reasons why Luis Enrique was so excited to see him sign for PSG.
"Desire is a versatile player," the Spaniard said at the start of the season, "who can play in the center and on the wings. He can also play in a slightly deeper and more defensive role. He is very complete."
The focus, though, is always on putting Doue in a position to do as much damage as possible with his frankly extraordinary dribbling skills, which really caught the attention of English audiences during his very impressive cameo in last month's Champions League last-16 win over Liverpool at Anfield.
Although he's not a diminutive figure (5'11'’), Doue is blessed with the kind of great balance one would associate with a smaller man, while he also boasts nimble feet, an explosive turn of pace, and a wonderful array of feints and flicks.
So, remarkable as it is to say, he's arguably PSG's most dangerous forward with the ball at his feet – as underlined by the fact that he's completed more dribbles (79) in all competitions this season than Dembele, Bradley Barcola (both 68) and Kvaratskhelia (52 combined, for Napoli and PSG) despite starting far fewer games.