When Pep Guardiola was asked if Jeremy Doku could one day reach the heights of superstars like Vinicius Jr or Lamine Yamal, his answer was immediate and emphatic.

"Yeah, for sure," the Manchester City boss said. "And always accept being pushed. Always accept that. And that is so nice. We are really pleased. Now he is winning games. But he has always been really, really good."

That endorsement speaks volumes about how far the 23-year-old Belgian winger has come since his £55.4 million move from Rennes in August 2023. Still just scratching the surface of his potential, Doku has evolved into a genuine difference-maker for a City side chasing a historic treble.

His game has always been built on electrifying pace and elite-level dribbling—qualities that set him apart in modern football. But what's changed is the polish around those raw gifts. He's no longer just a flashy winger; he's become a complete attacking threat, with five goals and five assists in 28 Premier League appearances this season.

Those who watched him grow up aren't surprised. Shaun Maloney, one of Doku's former Belgium youth coaches, recalls seeing that same explosive talent during the Under-17 European Championships. "What you see now in terms of one-v-one dribbling was exactly him then. He was taking it in his own half and dribbling 70 and 80 yards," Maloney told The Athletic.

Even Kylian Mbappe took notice during Doku's early days at Rennes. "I was speaking with my father about a player I had noticed from the stands because of his pace," Mbappe said. "The player was Doku at Rennes. In my five years as a pro, I had never seen someone with so much explosivity in his first steps."

That kind of praise from one of the game's greats is rare. But Doku is proving he belongs in that conversation, and Saturday's FA Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley offers another chance to shine. With City already eyeing their second trophy of the campaign, all eyes will be on the young Belgian to see just how far his rapid rise can take him.