“A lot of pressure on me” – Manchester City signing admits to weight on shoulders following summer transfer

Manchester City summer signing Jeremy Doku has admitted to feeling the pressure on his shoulders upon joining the football club, speaking during a recent conversation.

The youngster became the Premier League champions’ penultimate signing of the most recent summer transfer window, following in the footsteps of Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol, and preceeding the arrival of Matheus Nunes from Wolves.

Doku was largely seen as a replacement for Riyad Mahrez in Manchester City’s attacking frontline, after the Algerian icon brought an end to his stay in the Premier League by joining Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia.

Big expectations were placed on the shoulders of the Belgium international, with Manchester City arguably needing the former RSC Anderlecht forward to deliver almost immediately upon his arrival.

Speaking while away on international duty with Belgium, Jeremy Doku admitted that while he feels he may have already improved while working under Pep Guardiola, he has felt the pressure in moving to such a big club.

Doku explained, “I’m always on the lookout, I try to prove things with (Belgium) De Rode Duivels. This transfer (to Manchester City) has put a lot of pressure on me, I have to prove that I can play in one of the best teams in the world.

“I know my final pass and my finishing still need to improve, but my job is first and foremost to get past the opponent. I know I can do that if I make the right move at the right time. I know my qualities, but like everyone else, my dribbles sometimes fail.”

The 21-year-old continued, “Then I’m frustrated because I didn’t perform the right movement at the right time.”

While many would believe interest from Manchester City would be a no-brainer, Jeremy Doku admitted that plenty of thought went into a decision, including a conversation with head coach Pep Guardiola.

“Just because it was Man City didn’t mean I just said yes, I wanted to speak to the trainer first to see what role he had in mind for me. I’ve reached an age where I have to play a lot. I felt then that Guardiola believed in me. That’s all I needed to know,” Doku explained.

Doku and his Manchester City teammates are expected to return to the City Football Academy later this week, as they prepare for the return of domestic football in England starting with Premier League action across this weekend.

Pep Guardiola and his players get back to work with an Etihad Stadium clash against Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton & Hove Albion, before contests against BSC Young Boys of Switzerland are accompanied by a trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United.