‘Here we go’: Romano says ‘incredibly fast’ forward linked with Chelsea is now joining PL rivals

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Chelsea are currently in pursuit of a new forward ahead of the closure of the summer transfer window.

Plenty of big names have been doing the rounds with regards to a move to Stamford Bridge.

One of those is Rennes and Belgium star Jeremy Doku, one of the most exciting young forwards around.

90Min recently claimed that Chelsea reached out to Rennes and made an enquiry about the 21-year-old.

However, it looks like the Blues have now fallen short in pursuit of Doku, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The transfer insider took to Twitter on Monday evening to say Manchester City had won the race.

They’d be spending around £51.5million on Doku, who’d be penning a long-term deal at the Etihad.

Jeremy Doku to Manchester City, here we go,” wrote Romano.

“Verbal agreement in place after new bid revealed here this morning — worth €60m package.

“Medical tests being scheduled later this week, personal terms agreed on long term deal.”

Our view

You win some, you lose some.

Chelsea have won quite a few high-profile transfer battles this year. Mykhaylo Mudryk, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia to name but three.

However, the Blues didn’t manage to sign Michael Olise, and now it looks like they’ve missed out on Doku too.

It’s a bit of a shame, as the 21-year-old is an incredible talent who looks like he’ll become a superstar.

He has earned praise from the likes of Kylian Mbappe, who lauded Doku on France Football – via GFFN – in 2021.

“I was speaking with my father about a player who impressed me from the stands – because I was not playing – because of his speed qualities, that is (Jeremy) Doku, at Rennes,” said the Frenchman.

“In 5 years as a professional, I have never seen someone from a standing start demonstrate so much power.”

Meanwhile, Kevin De Bruyne said to Reuters about his compatriot: “He is nimble, fast and can dribble. He is a diamond in the rough.”

Nevertheless, there are still a fair few targets on the Chelsea wishlist. Mohammed Kudus, Rayan Cherki, Brennan Johnson and Bradley Barcola are all seemingly still available.