FC Barcelona are monitoring a number of young players with great potential in a strategy to keep the club competitive against other European clubs with significantly greater financial prowess. One such player that the club is keeping an eye on is the French-Ivorian Desire Doue.
The player turned 18 years of age only on the 3rd of June this year but has already amassed a significant amount of game time in the French Ligue 1 with Stade Rennais. The youngster has 34 appearances with the Rennais first team, amassing 1403 minutes in the league, cup, and Europa League competitions.
In these appearances, the player scored 4 goals and gave 1 assist while playing as an attacking midfielder. Coached by Bruno Genesio, the Rennais team finished fourth in the league table and qualified for the Europa League for the next season.
His performances with Rennais have also attracted the interest of a number of teams across Europe, with PSG and Newcastle United joining Barcelona to monitor his progress.
However, according to SPORT, the Premier League side Newcastle United are the most advanced side in the quest to sign the midfielder and have already contacted his representatives. The report mentions that his transfer fee will be around the €14 million mark, and Sade Rennais will have a lot of room for negotiation as the player’s contract with his current club runs up to 2025.
While the player has had a meaningful season in the Ligue 1 this year, his growth trajectory is still far from certain in the coming seasons. Thus, it would be complicated for FC Barcelona or any other side to commit fully to competition for his signature, especially considering his high cost and the Catalan club’s weak financial condition and FFP issues.
