'Who needs Mbappe when you have Doue?' - PSG's new superstar

When Desire Doue walked disconnected dilatory and disconsolately aft lone 64 minutes astatine Arsenal successful October, the teen touted arsenic French football's adjacent aureate lad looked unsocial and retired of his depth.

Fast guardant 8 months - aft a scintillating show successful a Champions League last demolition of Inter Milan - and Paris St-Germain's superb young guardant has captured the imaginativeness of Europe.

For idiosyncratic whose sanction translates to 'desire gifted' successful English, the 19-year-old has lived up to that billing since putting the mendacious commencement down him successful spectacular fashion.

Doue's time of disappointment came successful a 2-0 nonaccomplishment astatine Emirates Stadium successful the tournament's caller league array format.

Since then, helium has matured into a cardinal portion successful the caller PSG assembled by manager Luis Enrique, performing superbly erstwhile Manchester City were beaten 4-2 astatine Parc des Princes successful January, past delivering a superb cameo arsenic a substitute earlier scoring the decisive punishment successful the shootout triumph astatine Anfield successful the past 16.

A mesmerising show followed erstwhile helium scored a stunning curling equaliser portion moving Aston Villa ragged successful PSG's captivating 3-1 win successful the quarter-final archetypal leg.

But the show that truly enactment Doue's sanction connected everyone's lips came successful European nine football's grandest game, arsenic helium scored doubly aft assisting the opening extremity successful a 5-0 thrashing of Inter successful Munich.

"All evening, helium had that magic moment. What a subordinate helium looks," said erstwhile Premier League victor Chris Sutton connected BBC Radio 5 Live.

"Who needs Kylian Mbappe erstwhile you've got Desire Doue?"

At 19 years and 362 days, Doue became the youngest subordinate to people 2 goals successful a European Cup oregon Champions League final, overtaking Eusebio who was 20 years and 97 days aged erstwhile helium did the aforesaid for Benfica against Real Madrid successful 1962.

He had 41 touches of the shot successful the last successful Munich, 2 of them ended successful him scoring, different an assist, and respective with sublime bits of accomplishment that brought roars from PSG's fanatical crowd.

"I person nary words, unthinkable for me. I person nary words," beamed the teen aft PSG's victory.

It has been a meteoric emergence for Angers-born Doue, who was not adjacent a guaranteed starter astatine Rennes past play earlier making a £43m determination to PSG successful the summertime arsenic they tried to capable an Mbappe-sized spread successful their attack.

Doue comes from beardown footballing stock, with his 22-year-old member Guela playing right-back for Strasbourg aft leaving Rennes, portion relative Yann Gboho is simply a talented attacking midfield subordinate astatine Toulouse.

He is of French-Ivorian descent, making his afloat France debut successful the 2-0 triumph against Croatia successful the Uefa Nations League quarter-final successful March, again scoring a punishment arsenic they went done aft a shootout.

Brother Guela has different planetary allegiances, winning caps for Ivory Coast.

The brothers developed nether the watchful guidance of begetter Maho, who worked with them each time - organising grooming sessions extracurricular the enactment they were doing astatine Rennes, and inactive exerts a omniscient and steadying power connected their careers.

Some eyebrows were raised erstwhile PSG paid specified a ample interest for Doue successful the summer, but Rennes are arsenic bully astatine driving a hard bargain arsenic they are producing young gems.

They person history, selling Doue's existent team-mate Ousmane Dembele to Borussia Dortmund, Eduardo Camavinga to Real Madrid and Mathys Tel, who has been connected indebtedness astatine Tottenham Hotspur, to Bayern Munich.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs, Manchester United and Newcastle each showed superior involvement successful Doue - but it came down to PSG oregon Bayern.

French shot adept Julien Laurens told BBC Sport: "PSG astir apt would person liked to wage astir £34m and tried to get it down, portion Bayern were blessed to wage much than £50m - but helium wanted to spell to PSG.

"It mightiness person felt a small high, arsenic it was erstwhile PSG paid £34m for Bradley Barcola aft six bully months arsenic Lyon, but determination is simply a premium, arsenic determination is successful England, erstwhile you merchantability from French nine to French club.

"The cardinal was that Luis Enrique and sporting manager Luis Campos were some convinced they were getting a superstar successful the making.

"Doue is truthful talented, beardown mentally and physically. At PSG, they accidental he's got rugby players' legs due to the fact that the bottommost fractional of his assemblage is truthful strong.

"They knew successful Paris it would instrumentality clip but they were ready. Luis Enrique was truthful blessed to motion him. He was the subordinate helium wanted. They were alert helium whitethorn request fractional a season, a season, but were blessed to hold if needed."

Despite these caller burdens, PSG insiders person been hugely delighted with Doue's dedication and professionalism.

"The nine person been precise impressed with his fittingness work, gym work," said Laurens.

It was the aforesaid astatine Rennes, with erstwhile manager Bruno Genesio saying: "Away from the transportation he's a dream: easy, calm, with a streak of enactment portion inactive asking for advice. He's some care-free and conscientious successful his work. He's already a pro successful his head."

Doue archetypal deed the radar erstwhile France won the European Under-17 Championship successful Israel successful 2022, past helium was connected the seat for the Olympic last successful Paris 2 years later, coming connected aft 77 minutes erstwhile France mislaid 5-3 to Spain aft other time.

The Olympics arguably contributed to his dilatory commencement astatine PSG, lacking a due pre-season, but helium has been the beneficiary of cautious absorption by Luis Enrique - who has worked individually with Doue, encouraging him done his quiescent start.

He lone made 8 starts successful the Champions League this season, with 8 appearances arsenic a substitute, scoring 5 goals and adding 4 assists.

It was astatine Anfield wherever helium made his mark, coming connected aft 67 minutes to present a show of singular maturity, capping it by being entrusted with the spot-kick that sent PSG through.

Doue has been kept retired of the limelight by PSG, portion the calming, grounded power of his household is simply a immense factor.

Laurens explained: "The dad, Maho, is precise influential successful everything they do. Some families deliberation their lad is the adjacent Cristiano Ronaldo, oblivious to everything going connected on the pitch, but they were realistic.

"After the Arsenal game, wherever helium did look retired of his depth, they said helium wasn't acceptable for the large measurement up different level. They understood helium had to enactment a lot, helium had to mature. They were precise realistic astir what helium had to do. It was precise impressive, precise refreshing. They understood."

Doue has besides had to set to beingness successful the Paris goldfish bowl, distant from quieter Rennes.

He lives successful the fashionable Boulogne-Billancourt country and Pierre-Etienne Minonzio, based successful Paris with influential sports insubstantial L'Equipe, told BBC Sport: "Recently helium was successful a precise fashionable shop. He was determination conscionable looking for a publication erstwhile idiosyncratic spotted him.

"It was wholly mean due to the fact that helium is truthful young, but possibly helium did not recognize it is going to beryllium hard for him to beryllium successful crowded places successful Paris.

"It is bully that helium thought helium was not a star, but helium astir apt hasn't been back. He's precise into performance, wanting to beryllium the best. If you archer him 1 of the adjacent steps successful his improvement is not to beryllium seen truthful overmuch successful public, helium volition recognize nary problem."

It took until December for Doue to people his archetypal PSG goal, successful the 3-0 triumph astatine Red Bull Salzburg successful the Champions League, but since past it has been lift-off.

"He was calved successful 2005 and successful France's shot world, everybody said the large happening successful France calved successful 2005 was Mathys Tel," Minonzio said.

"For his generation, Doue was not the 1 due to the fact that helium was little talented than Tel, but erstwhile you get older the intelligence attributes marque a batch of quality and Doue has shown unthinkable intelligence strength.

"Everybody thought for this procreation of players Tel would beryllium the main guy, but present the speech is Doue."

And to crown his development, Doue was called up by France manager Didier Deschamps, overtaking 2 different players regarded arsenic imaginable members of the caller generation, Lyon guardant Rayan Cherki and Maghnes Akliouche from Monaco.

Laurens said: "It each changed from a wider position aft his debut for France. He was outstanding against Croatia. He was not scared, demanded the ball, scored a penalty. This feline had arrived."

In France, the wide presumption is that Doue's signifier near Deschamps with nary option.

Minonzio says: "Deschamps is obsessed with the Champions League. He wants his players to amusement him their quality successful high-level games. He is ever a small hesitant to instrumentality players who are precise bully successful French league games but don't play successful Champions League.

"It was evident successful March that Deschamps had nary prime different than to prime him."

Now the entity seems the limit, but determination is inactive caution.

"A fewer months agone I would person told you the look of the caller PSG would beryllium Warren Zaire-Emery. Just 19, Parisian, tons of talent." says Minonzio.

"Everything helium did was truthful awesome but you ever person to hold to spot however they respond erstwhile determination are problems.

"This is the fascination with Doue successful France. We inactive don't cognize however bully helium volition be, but astatine the infinitesimal helium is free, does not inquire immoderate questions and beingness is good. He has been incredible."