Liverpool is searching for an Arne Slot replacement after parting company with the Dutchman, and Man City star Rayan Cherki has heaped praise on one reported target
09:16, 31 May 2026
Man City forward Rayan Cherki.
Man City forward Rayan Cherki.(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
Manchester City star Rayan Cherki thinks Liverpool-linked manager Pierre Sage is a 'genius' as the Reds seek a replacement for Arne Slot. The Liverpool hierarchy is on the hunt for a new head coach after dismissing the 47-year-old following two seasons at Anfield.
Slot claimed the Premier League title in his maiden campaign, however Liverpool ended last season in fifth place, only securing Champions League football on the final day. The Anfield hierarchy parted ways with the former Feyenoord boss and has compiled a shortlist of potential successors.
Current Lens manager Sage, whom Cherki knows from his spell at Lyon, is said to be among those on that shortlist, alongside the likes of Andoni Iraola and Sebastian Hoeness. The 47-year-old Frenchman led Lens to their first-ever Coupe de France triumph this term, and secured a runners-up finish in Ligue 1, earning a Champions League berth.
The Anfield dressing room has been frustrated this season and following Mohamed Salah's very public falling-out with Slot, with the Liverpool legend will depart this summer.
Cherki has previously credited Sage with restoring calm to a Lyon dressing room that had been in disarray under his predecessors.
Speaking to L'Equipe and Prime Video Sport France about Sage during his time at Lyon, Cherki said: "The coach brought back the serenity we needed so much. He knows how to talk to players, he understands how we feel.
"With him, there is no pretending. He gives us freedom while establishing a very clear framework. It's exactly what we needed."
Man City stay Rayan Cherki worked alongside Liverpool-linked Pierre Sage during their time at Lyon.
Man City stay Rayan Cherki worked alongside Liverpool-linked Pierre Sage during their time at Lyon.(Image: (Photo by Philippe Lecoeur/FEP/Icon Sport via Getty Images))
Cherki's rapport with managers has come under the microscope throughout his career, yet in a conversation with RMC Sport, he praised Sage for extracting his finest performances.
The Man City playmaker previously stated: "He knows how to push my buttons, he knows how to talk to me to get the best out of me.
"He gives me the keys to create on the pitch, but he also reminds me of my defensive duties. It is a relationship based on an indispensable mutual trust."
Despite Sage's limited first-team experience prior to his Lyon appointment, Cherki was swift to champion him. Speaking to Le Progres, he remarked: "People forget just how much of a tactical genius he is.
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"Every match is prepared down to the millimeter. We know exactly where the spaces are, what we have to do with the ball. He makes football simpler for us."
Former Bournemouth manager Iraola, though, is thought to be the leading candidate to succeed Slot, with the departing Cherries boss leaving the Vitality Stadium this summer following his historic achievement of securing European qualification for the club.
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Iraola has also held discussions with Crystal Palace, AC Milan and Bayer Leverkusen, but he is believed to be keen on a move to Anfield above the other options.
Liverpool.com says: Iraola and Sage are both good coaches, but coming to Anfield would be a big step up. For whoever it is that comes in, they will need to adapt quickly to a very different environment.