Pep Guardiola is pushing Manchester City to offer one of his current players in exchange for a Real Madrid star, according to a recent report.
Cherki looking to create his own Man City legacy
The Blues have been very busy in the early part of this transfer window, bringing in four new players. They have added Marcus Bettinelli to their squad as another goalkeeper option, along with Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolves, Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan and Rayan Cherki from Lyon.
Olympique Lyonnais' Rayan Cherki applauds fans
City have seen Kevin de Bruyne leave the club and join Napoli this summer, and therefore, signing someone with Cherki's creativity was crucial. However, the French attacking midfielder has stressed he is “not De Bruyne”, and he is keen to “write my own story” at the Etihad.
"I'm not Kevin De Bruyne; he is the legend. I'm here to help the team and to write my own story. I hope to win all the time with the team.
"When you see Rodri, he won the Ballon d'Or here – it's clear that with Manchester City it's possible, and I am here for this.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola before the match Related
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He is a player with a massive future.
"When I spoke with Pep, he wanted me - he was very, very clear. Pep told me, 'when you have the ball, you are free', which is very good for me because it's my first quality to help the team.
"The system, the club, the city is very good. I want to win, and I think Manchester City wants to win it all."
Pep wants Rodrygo to join Man City overhaul
Cherki may not be the last of the new attackers arriving at the Etihad in this transfer window, as according to a report from Spain, Pep wants Man City to offer Jack Grealish to Real Madrid in exchange for Rodrygo.
rodrygo-arsenal-real-madrid
Grealish has been left out of City’s Club World Cup squad, as his time at the club appears to be coming to an end. Guardiola is keen for the Englishman to get another big move and sees him as someone who can help bring Rodrygo’s price down, which currently stands at £84 million.
However, this report does state that Real Madrid are not interested in signing Grealish, and Xabi Alonso has already made it clear to the Brazilian forward that he is a key part of his plans going forward.
Grealish, who earns £300,000 a week at City, is already wanted by teams such as Newcastle United and Aston Villa, with the Magpies said to be the ones leading the race to secure his transfer.
Last season, Grealish played just 20 times in the Premier League, scoring one goal and registering one assist in the process. Meanwhile, Rodrygo, who has been dubbed a “magician” by Statman Dave, scored six goals as well as assisting a further six in 30 La Liga games.