Belgium defender Thomas Meunier reckons Manchester City have signed the next Neymar after snapping up lightning-fast winger Jeremy Doku.
Meunier, the 32-year-old right-back who now plays for Turkish club Trabzonspor, spent three years alongside Neymar at Paris St Germain - and admits the Brazilian forward was a nightmare to play against even in training.
Now he is backing Doku to reach the same heights despite an inconsistent start to his City career following his £55million arrival from Rennes last summer.
Meunier, who will be tasked with keeping Harry Kane and Co quiet when England face Belgium at Wembley on Wednesday night, said: “Doku has so much talent - and so much self-confidence too.
“He has not reached the level of Neymar yet. Neymar is the only player who could make me wince on the pitch. I don’t get a headache playing against Doku. Well, not yet! But I really don’t rule it out that he will reach that level one day.”
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Doku burst onto the scene at the Etihad after being recruited to replace the creativity of Riyad Mahrez. Despite an individualistic style that doesn’t fit in with Pep Guardiola ’s usual requirements, his form was so electric that Jack Grealish was forced to accept a fight to win his place in the team.
Doku has added a new dimension to City's play (David Blunsden/Action Plus/REX/Shutterstock)His form has dipped in recent weeks, but he gives the Premier League champions the kind of unpredictable threat defenders hate. Doku and PSV Eindhoven’s brilliant 20-year-old flier Johan Bakayoko have given Belgium a new devastating threat from the flanks following Eden Hazard’s retirement.
Kevin De Bruyne is 32 and will miss the game against England through injury. Jan Vertonghen is 36 and Romelu Lukaku 30. But Meunier believes there could be another Golden Generation about to emerge for the Red Devils.
He said: “I was always calm and quiet as a young player. This kid Doku and Bakayoko don’t know the word stress. They look as if they have been at the top level for years. That is not a bad thing. In training, we played a game and Bakayoko was telling me where to run. That’s class.
Meunier (left) played with Neymar at PSG (Getty Images)“People don't know us because there are fewer big names playing with us these days, but there is a lot of quality. I am not saying we will win the European Championship. But I do dare say with certainty that we won't go out in the group stages. The future looks bright.
“I am not Romelu Lukaku or Kevin De Bruyne. They are still so important to the team while I have to prove myself every day at a good level.”
Belgium’s Italy-born coach Domenico Tedesco will also be without Thibaut Courtois. Real Madrid ’s former Chelsea keeper is recovering after surgery to repair a damaged knee ligament.
But he stormed out of the squad and threatened to retire from international football last summer after being overlooked as stand-in captain when De Bruyne was ruled out of qualifiers against Austria and Estonia.
Meunier insisted: “I wasn't in the dressing room at the time. It's something between Thibaut and the coach, but I don’t believe any door was closed.”
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