Manchester City monitoring Rennes star

Manchester City got their title defence off to an excellent start by beating newly-promoted Burnley 3-0 on Friday night.

A brace from Erling Haaland and a goal from Rodri gifted the Sky Blues all three points at Turf Moor.

Despite cruising to victory against Vincent Kompany’s side, not everything was rosy for the Citizens as star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne was forced off in the first half of the game due to a hamstring injury.

Pep Guardiola’s side have been actively looking for an attacking midfielder throughout the window; the news of De Bruyne being side-lined may speed up City’s search for a creative addition to the squad.

City have been targeting West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta recently, but that move is proving hard to complete as the two clubs still have not agreed a fee for the Brazilian.

Therefore, the reigning Premier League champions have reportedly been identifying alternatives to the West Ham midfielder.

According to Football Insider, Manchester City are tracking Rennes winger Jeremy Doku.

The report claims that City are tracking both Doku and Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise as alternatives if they cannot land Lucas Paqueta.

The Belgium international has impressed in Ligue 1 since joining Rennes from Anderlecht in 2020, making 73 total league appearances for his current side.

During those 73 games, the winger has scored nine goals and provided seven assists.

Doku, 21, has attracted plenty interest from clubs around Europe since joining The Red and Blacks and performing on the international stage with Belgium.

Pep Guardiola is reportedly looking for a player to replace the creativity of Riyad Mahrez, who departed to join Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli earlier in the window.

The 21-year-old’s contract doesn’t expire until 2025, but a deal could be reached if a club meets Rennes’ valuation of the winger, which is reported to be around £47m.