Flashscore Player of the Month: Desire Doue Proves Indispensable for Resurgent PSG

In this month’s edition, Flashscore highlights the standout players in world football, exploring the qualities that differentiate them from others. With the help of advanced statistics and our player ratings system, we’ll delve into the figures that illustrate their impressive performances. For March, Paris Saint-Germain has once again produced the Player of the Month in 19-year-old Desire Doue.

Stepping into the limelight

In just three and a half years, PSG’s dynamic teenage prospect has ascended from the second team at Rennes to the French national squad, and he’s already on the path to becoming a well-known figure across Europe.

His bold play, evident during his time at Les Rouge et Noirs, along with his adaptability to fill various roles in attack and midfield throughout his early career will certainly serve him well under the watchful eye of Luis Enrique.

Doue is an active participant in games, consistently eager to shoulder attacking responsibilities, which is reflected in the significant number of passes he completes each season, often reaching into the high hundreds. This makes him a perfect fit for a PSG team that not only scores frequently but does so in a manner that entertains.

A sensational debut season with PSG

​Doue joined PSG on August 17, 2024, for a reported fee around €50 million—a significant investment for a player still shy of his 20th birthday.

The step up in quality, while respecting Rennes, could have been a jarring transition, but the 19-year-old has embraced his new environment effortlessly.

Such has been his impact that Luis Enrique finds it increasingly challenging to exclude him from the PSG starting XI. So far, he has featured in 40 matches this season (starting 15), which is just three shy of the total number of appearances he made at Rennes last year.

With nine goals and 11 assists from those 40 appearances, this marks the best return of his career. For context, it took him 76 games at Rennes to achieve eight goals and six assists.

However, it’s not just these figures that highlight his talent. Doue has also created 42 chances this season, only surpassed by key players Achraf Hakimi, Ousmane Dembele, and Lee Kang-In.

He has contested 246 duels, the highest of any PSG player this campaign, and his passing accuracy, sitting comfortably in the mid-80s percentage range, reflects his solid start at the Parc des Princes.

The world is Doue’s oyster

Having such exceptional talent at his disposal is a true blessing for Luis Enrique. As seen at Anfield during the second leg of the Champions League tie against Liverpool, Doue rises to the occasion, regardless of the stakes.

One particular goal even drew comparisons with Neymar on the official PSG social media.

While it’s still early to place such expectations on him, if Luis Enrique continues to give Doue the freedom to express himself on the pitch—while maintaining team structure—the sky is the limit for the young player.

With PSG now devoid of some of their biggest names like Messi, Ibrahimovic, Mbappe, and Neymar, it is the perfect time for Doue to emerge from their shadows.

A word from the trenches

“The first thing to understand is that Doue is an exceptional talent. As he plays more matches, you notice skills that are rare among footballers, reminiscent of a Neymar-type player (who is actually לדבר פֿעוירטוד ծավալ),

“Much like the Brazilian, he continuously seeks the decisive dribble in confined spaces. With the ball at his feet, he possesses remarkable technical ability and rarely loses possession.

“Once again, I must stress his extraordinary gifts, akin to a ‘natural talent’. Unlike Mbappé, who can appear robotic, Doue is a pure footballer whose graceful movements are hard for others to replicate.

“Adding to this, his physique resembles that of a 24-25 year-old (despite being just 19), combined with a potent shot, keen vision, game intelligence, and solid positioning. It’s no surprise Luis Enrique sees a rough diamond in him.

“He typically plays as a winger, but Luis Enrique knows he can deploy him in various roles due to his versatile skill set. The Spaniard appreciates the ability to be flexible and avoid a rigid playing style.

“Doue excels as a left winger but can also play effectively on the right, as a false nine, or even as a midfielder in a three-man setup as a No. 8.

“He’s a brilliant player who has developed numerous aspects of his game under Luis Enrique, and I believe he possesses immense potential. He sits in proximity to Mbappé or even matches a World Cup winner, but plays a significantly more ‘pure’ and magical style of football.”