When Desire Doue walked off slowly and sadly after just 64 minutes in a match against Arsenal last October, the 19-year-old—once called the next big star of French football—looked lost and overwhelmed.
But six months later, everything has changed. Now, Paris Saint-Germain’s young forward is catching attention all over Europe, and a Champions League semi-final rematch could be on the horizon.
Fittingly, Doue’s name in English means “desire gifted”—and he has shown both desire and talent since bouncing back from that tough game.
His low point came during a 2-0 loss at Arsenal in the new Champions League league format. But since then, he has become a key player in coach Luis Enrique’s new-look PSG team. He played brilliantly when PSG beat Manchester City 4-2 in January, came off the bench to impress at Anfield, and scored the winning penalty in the last 16.
In his most exciting game yet, he scored a beautiful curling goal and caused problems for Aston Villa in PSG’s 3-1 win in the quarter-final first leg.
Now, all eyes are on Doue ahead of the second leg at Villa Park. He and young Georgian star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia represent PSG’s new approach—focusing more on teamwork and less on superstar names like Ibrahimovic, Neymar, Mbappe, and Messi.
Doue’s rise has been fast. Just last season, he wasn’t even a regular starter at Rennes. Now, after a £43 million move to PSG, he’s helping to fill the big gap left by Mbappe in the team’s attack.
Doue comes from a football-loving family. His older brother Guela, who is 22, plays right-back for Strasbourg after leaving Rennes. Their cousin, Yann Gboho, is also a talented player and plays midfield for Toulouse.
Doue has both French and Ivorian roots. He made his first appearance for France in March during a 2-0 win against Croatia in the UEFA Nations League quarter-final. He scored a penalty in the shootout. His brother Guela, however, plays for the Ivory Coast national team.
Their father, Maho, helped shape their careers by training them daily, even outside their time at Rennes. He still supports and guides them today.
Some people were surprised when PSG paid a large amount of money for Doue this summer. But Rennes, known for developing great young players, also know how to make smart deals. They previously sold top players like Ousmane Dembele, Eduardo Camavinga, and Mathys Tel to big clubs like Dortmund, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich.
Top English clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester United, and Newcastle all wanted Doue. But in the end, he chose between PSG and Bayern Munich.
French football expert Julien Laurens told the BBC that PSG wanted to pay around £34 million, while Bayern was ready to offer more than £50 million. But Doue chose PSG.
It reminded some people of when PSG paid the same amount for Bradley Barcola after just a few strong months at Lyon. There’s often a higher price when a French club buys from another French club.
What made the difference was that PSG’s coach Luis Enrique and sporting director Luis Campos strongly believed in Doue’s future. They saw him as a future star.
Doue is not only very talented but also strong mentally and physically. At PSG, people even say he has “rugby player legs” because his lower body is so powerful.
The club knew it might take him some time to settle in, maybe half a season or more, but they were happy to wait. Enrique was thrilled to get him – Doue was the player he really wanted.
Even with new responsibilities, people at PSG are very happy with Doue’s attitude and hard work.
“The club is really impressed with his fitness and gym training,” said journalist Julien Laurens.
His old coach at Rennes, Bruno Genesio, said Doue is a great person off the field—calm, easy to work with, and always willing to learn. He said Doue acts like a true professional already.
Doue first got noticed when France won the Under-17 European Championship in 2022. Later, he played in the Olympic final in Paris, coming on as a sub when France lost to Spain.
Because he joined PSG after the Olympics without a full pre-season, he had a slow start. But coach Luis Enrique has helped him a lot by giving him personal support and time to grow.
This season, he has started five Champions League games and come off the bench in seven. He’s scored three goals and made two assists.
His best moment came at Anfield, where he came on and played very well, even scoring the penalty that helped PSG advance.
PSG has been careful not to put too much pressure on him, and his family plays a big role in keeping him grounded.
Laurens said his dad, Maho, is very involved and realistic. After a tough game against Arsenal, the family admitted he wasn’t quite ready for the top level yet and needed to work harder. Their honesty was impressive.
Doue is also adjusting to life in busy Paris after growing up in quieter Rennes. He now lives in the trendy Boulogne-Billancourt area.
Pierre-Etienne Minonzio from L’Équipe shared a story: recently, Doue went to a bookstore and was quickly recognized by fans. It showed he may not yet realize how hard it can be to stay unnoticed in Paris.
Still, he doesn’t see himself as a star and focuses on improving. If someone told him to stay out of the public eye more, he’d understand right away.
Doue scored his first goal for PSG in December during a 3-0 Champions League win against Red Bull Salzburg. Since then, his career has really taken off.
Minonzio explained that in France, people used to think Mathys Tel—now at Spurs—was the top player born in 2005. Doue wasn’t seen as special at the time because Tel seemed more talented. But as players grow older, mental strength becomes important, and Doue has shown he’s mentally very strong.
“Everyone thought Tel would be the star of that age group, but now everyone’s talking about Doue,” said Minonzio.
Doue’s rise continued when France coach Didier Deschamps picked him for the national team, ahead of other young talents like Rayan Cherki from Lyon and Maghnes Akliouche from Monaco.
Laurens added, “Things really changed when Doue played his first match for France. He was great against Croatia—he wasn’t nervous, asked for the ball, and even scored a penalty. It was clear he had arrived.”
In France, many believe Deschamps had no choice but to call him up because of how well he’s been playing.
Minonzio said Deschamps pays close attention to Champions League performances. He prefers picking players who prove themselves in big matches, not just in the French league. In March, Doue’s performances made it impossible to ignore him.
Now, Doue’s next challenge is at Villa Park. People are excited, but still watching carefully.
“A few months ago, I would have said PSG’s next big star was Warren Zaire-Emery,” said Minonzio. “He’s only 19, very talented, and from Paris. But with young players, you always have to see how they deal with tough times.”
“That’s what makes Doue so interesting. We don’t know how far he can go yet. Right now, he’s confident, carefree, and playing really well.”
