Manchester City have tied Jérémy Doku down until 2031, handing the 24-year-old Belgian winger a new five-year contract as the club prepares for a new era under Enzo Maresca. The deal also includes an option for an additional year.
But the bigger message isn’t simply that City want to keep Doku. They believe his most important years are still ahead of him.
Doku arrived from Rennes in 2023 as one of Europe’s most exciting young wingers, but his time at City has involved the usual adjustment that comes with moving into Pep Guardiola’s demanding environment. His explosive dribbling was never really in question; the challenge was turning that individual brilliance into consistent end product and tactical reliability.
That appears to be happening. Reports from City’s previous campaign credit Doku with eight goals and 14 assists, suggesting that his game is becoming more productive rather than relying solely on his ability to beat defenders.
And that is probably why this extension matters so much. City are not signing Doku to be the finished product. They are effectively saying: we’re willing to wait for the player he can become.
The timing is also interesting because the club is undergoing a significant transition. Maresca has replaced Guardiola, and City are reshaping their squad while trying to establish a new attacking identity. Doku has already said he is excited by Maresca’s attacking approach, which could give him even more responsibility in the final third.
He is also part of a wider pattern at City this summer. Phil Foden, Joško Gvardiol and Abdukodir Khusanov have also committed their futures to the club, while City continue to build a squad around players they believe can remain important for years.
That suggests the club isn’t simply trying to preserve the Guardiola-era squad. It is building the Maresca-era City.
It is building the Maresca-era City.For Doku, that could mean something even more important: becoming one of the faces of that transition.The pressure will now increase. A long contract means supporters will expect more goals, assists, consistency and decisive performances in the biggest matches.But City clearly aren’t worried about that gamble.They have just given Doku seven potential years to prove them right.
