Désiré Doué's New-Found Spark

While he remained humble on DAZN's microphone following his display against Lyon (3-1) — "I wouldn’t say it’s my night. It’s mainly the team’s night" — it hasn’t gone unnoticed that Doué is hitting his stride. Providing a decisive assist for Ousmane Dembélé’s opening goal at the Parc des Princes, the Parisian forward displayed remarkable technical skill to register his second assist of the Ligue 1 McDonald’s season. Three days later, he scored his first Ligue 1 goal for PSG in a high-stakes match against AS Monaco (2-4).

A versatile player, Désiré Doué had already made a promising impact in the Champions League with a solid substitute appearance in Salzburg. He then followed up with successful starts on the left wing against Lyon at the Parc des Princes and against Monaco.

A shiniing talent

"If I don’t score, I need to perform well in the game. It’s not just about goals and assists; my goal is to help the team, find the forwards when I’m in midfield, and make the team perform better," Doué explained after his standout European performance (0-3).

In Austria, he scored his first goal in PSG colors — also his first in the Champions League — and delivered an assist within just 24 minutes of play. That performance seems to have been a turning point, fully launching the ex-Rennes player’s PSG adventure after a long drought without scoring since April.

With clenched fists and a cry of relief, his celebration in front of the Parisian supporters reflected his joy at finally breaking his streak (first goal in 20 matches) and marking his best performance for Paris.

Since his arrival this summer, Désiré Doué, trained at Stade Rennais, has yet to secure a starting spot (5 times in Ligue 1 McDonald’s). However, he has demonstrated his versatility by playing in various positions, a quality appreciated by his coach Luis Enrique, who has involved him in 18 of the 21 possible matches so far.

As an attacking midfielder, left or right winger, or even at the tip of the attack — as when he replaced Gonçalo Ramos in Salzburg — Doué has been used in almost every role at PSG.

“At training, I’m also asked to play that position (striker). But we move a lot on the pitch; I sometimes find myself on the left, in midfield, or as a number nine. We try to create a lot of movement, which allows us to generate great opportunities,” explained the Angers-born player.

This versatility was on full display in Monaco on Wednesday. Always on the move, he was Luis Enrique’s top offensive asset in the first half. His goal, a precise right-footed finish, came after excellent work from Achraf Hakimi on the right flank. Doué intelligently drifted into the center to create space and capitalize on the opportunity.

"A High-Level Player for the Future"

“For me, in his recent matches, Désiré Doué has made our overall performances better with his contributions,” commented Luis Enrique, who praised his player for being “exceptional in attack and defense, even in a role that isn’t his, as a number nine.”

“I’ve said this from day one: he’s a player we have great confidence in,” the coach emphasized. A few days earlier, he had remarked that the young French international, who participated in the Olympics without starting, “has plenty of qualities, but being a regular starter at PSG… he still needs to adapt.”

In early October, to everyone’s surprise, Luis Enrique started Doué on the right wing against Arsenal, replacing Ousmane Dembélé, who was sidelined for the match. It was Doué’s second start of the season after playing as a false nine against Reims on September 21.

Thrown into the deep end in Europe, Doué struggled, barely touching the ball and delivering a lackluster performance alongside his team, dominated by the Gunners in every aspect.

Until recently, his frequent positional changes left him appearing lost on the pitch. Versatility is valuable, but at what cost?

For Luis Enrique, it’s just a matter of time. “Every case is different; some adapt slower, others faster. Désiré Doué is a high-level player for the future, but he needs the right mentality to help the team,” said the coach. Doué proved him right in his recent outings.

Indeed, PSG’s No. 14 has been decisive in three consecutive matches, promising a bright 2025 ahead.