Into the spotlight
A Flashscore rating of 8.5 over the four games he played during the month makes Desire Doue the worthiest of winners for the Player of the Month gong.
In the space of just three and a half years, PSG's electric teenage sensation has gone from Rennes' second team to the French national side, and is already well on the way to becoming a household name across Europe.
The fearlessness which typified his game at Les Rouge et Noirs, coupled with a versatility that has seen him occupy all of the attacking and midfield positions during his fledgling professional career will certainly stand him in good stead whilst under the studious tutelage of Luis Enrique.
Doue is a player that typically likes to be involved at every opportunity so it's no real surprise that, throughout his career, he's keen to take on the attacking responsibility.
Passes that number into the high hundreds each season evidence his suitability to a PSG side that not only score goals, but delight in playing teams off the park whilst so doing.
Stunning debut season for PSG
Doue signed for PSG on August 17th, 2024, for a fee reported to be in the region of €50m, a not insignificant sum for a player still 10 months from his 20th birthday.
The evident jump up in quality, with the greatest respect to Rennes, might well have come as a culture shock, but the 19-year-old has taken to his new surroundings like a duck to water.
So much so that Luis Enrique has found it more and more difficult to leave him out of the PSG line-up. To date he's played 40 games in 2024/25 (starting in 15), which is just three games less than he did for Rennes last season.
His nine goals and 11 assists in those 40 games is the best return of his career, and to give those numbers some more context, it took him 76 games with Rennes to post figures of eight goals and six assists.
It isn't only those numbers which mark him out as a special talent, however. He's also created 42 chances which is only bettered by club stalwarts Achraf Hakimi, Ousmane Dembele and Lee Kang-In.
246 duels also happens to be the most contested of any PSG player this season and his passing accuracy continues to improve with a mid 80s percentage a decent enough landing spot for his first few months at the Parc des Princes.
The world is Doue's oyster
Knowing that he has such a formidable talent at his disposal will be manna from heaven for Luis Enrique, and as was seen at Anfield during the second leg of the Champions League tie against Liverpool, no matter the occasion, Doue can and will rise to it.
Doue was on target with a brace against St. Etienne last time out, earning him the highest rating in Flashscore's Team of the Week too.
One goal in particular drew comparisons with Neymar from the official PSG social accounts.
Although it's far too early to put that kind of pressure on him, if Luis Enrique continues to allow Doue to play with such freedom and flair, albeit within the confines of team shape, then the world really is the player's oyster.
Given that PSG are now shorn of their biggest names; Messi, Ibrahimovich, Mbappe and Neymar et al, the timing is also perfect for Doue to emerge from their collective shadows.
View from the ground
We asked Flashscore France senior editor Pablo Gallego for his thoughts on Doue's emergence this season, and it's safe to say that he's a huge fan already.
"The first thing you need to know is that Doue is an extraordinary talent. As the matches go by, you notice qualities that very few football players have, which are close to those of a Neymar-type player (he's actually Doue's favourite player and the one who has inspired him the most).
"He is like the Brazilian, always looking for the dribble that will make the difference in small spaces, and with the ball at his feet he is a highly technical player who loses the ball very little.
"Once again, I'd like to emphasise his extraordinary qualities, which can be likened to a ‘gift’. He's not as robotic as Mbappe, for example. Doue is a pure footballer and his polished movements are something that few players can replicate.
"Add to that he has the physique of a 24-25 year old (even though he's 19), a good shot, good vision, game intelligence and good positioning, and it's no wonder that Luis Enrique has a rough diamond in his hands.
"The player is a winger, but Luis Enrique knows he can use him in a variety of ways because he has the qualities to do so. The Spaniard loves to be able to change things and not have a rigid way of playing.
"Doue can therefore play very well in his preferred position as a left winger, but also on the right, as a false nine or even in a three-man midfield as a No. 8.
"He's a brilliant player who has developed many different facets under Luis Enrique and for me he has very high potential. He's close to Mbappe or even the equivalent of the World Cup winner but with a much more ‘pure’ and magical style of football."
