According to reports, Liverpool are ‘positioned’ to sign France international Rayan Cherki from Ligue Un side Lyon amid interest from Chelsea.
Liverpool have made a sensational start to the 2024/25 campaign as they are top of the Premier League and Champions League. They are currently second in the form table.
This is especially impressive considering head coach Arne Slot is in his debut season and they were pretty inactive in the summer transfer market.
The Premier League giants made it their priority to sign a new No.6 and Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi was their top target, but this deal fell through as the midfielder opted to stick with his boyhood club.
Liverpool signed Federico Chiesa in a cut-price deal, while they reached an agreement to land Giorgi Mamardashvili in 2025. They could also be tempted to enter the market in January to boost their chances of winning the Premier League and Champions League.
READ: Liverpool star decides ‘preferred’ transfer with ‘contract renewal halted’ as he finds ‘feasible way out’
A recent report claimed Liverpool have joined Premier League rivals Chelsea in a ‘surprise swoop’ to sign Cherki, who has been made available for £25m.
The 21-year-old attracted Premier League interest in the summer and it was reported that he reached an agreement to join Fulham, but this deal fell through.
Now, Cherki is back on the radar of Premier League sides as he has made a stunning start to the 2024/25 season. The versatile attacking midfielder has five goals and seven assists in his 17 appearances.
Cherki’s contract expires in 2026, which means he is a cheap option for clubs heading into January and next summer.
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A report from RMC Sport claims Liverpool are ‘positioned’ to sign Cherki, while Ligue Un giants Paris Saint-Germain are not in the race.
‘Unless there is a turnaround, it will not be Rayan Cherki, who has supporters internally [at PSG]… but also opponents who hoped to see him arrive last summer.
‘The Lyonnais has other offers given his level since the start of the season. Liverpool has positioned itself.’
As for Zubimendi, he has revealed why he “selfishly” decided to reject Liverpool in the summer.
“I went on vacation, and it caught me by surprise,” Zubimendi said. “It wasn’t something I had planned. I reacted when the situation arose.
“It was an uncomfortable time for me. But I weighed the pros and cons and concluded that the best option was to stay.”
Zubimendi added: “I looked at my personal progression, who I am, and the club’s project. I stayed because I knew this season would be important for me in the team, and I still had steps to take. It wasn’t that hard of a decision.
“There were many reasons for my decision, but I was selfish and thought about what was best for me. And that was staying.”