Desire Doue has become a household name in European football this season, following a terrific 2024/25 campaign that saw him win the treble.
Doue notably delivered a strong performance in the final against Inter Milan, with the forward involved in two goals and an assist as PSG secured a comfortable 5-0 victory.
Overall, Doue ended the campaign with 15 goals and 16 assists in all competitions, making him one of the most productive players for PSG, alongside Ousmane Dembele.
Doue’s performances in the Champions League have even reportedly helped him overtake Pau Cubarsi in the race to win the Golden Boy award this year.
Barcelona were interested in Doue
Doue’s future, though, could have panned out very differently last year, when Barcelona were interested in his services.
According to Toni Juanmarti (h/t Beteve), Barça had identified Doue as one of the most promising young wingers in Europe and even tracked him closely for several months.
The player’s agent reportedly visited Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper. However, the transfer never materialised. At the time, Doue was still considered an unproven prospect.
Barcelona, for their part, faced tight Financial Fair Play restrictions and were unwilling to take a risk on a player who had yet to explode at the top level.
The winger was valued at around €40-50 million, a figure the Catalans felt was too high for someone still developing.
There were also internal concerns about the pressure of the Barcelona environment potentially stunting the growth of young players not yet ready for the spotlight.
As a result, Barcelona opted not to make a move for Doue, who eventually joined PSG last summer for a fee of €50 million – a move that has turned out to be a bargain for Luis Enrique.
