Rayan Cherki of Olympique Lyonnais celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the UEFA Europa League 2024/25 Quarter Final Second Leg match against Manchester United
Rayan Cherki has emerged as a possible transfer target for Manchester City
Manchester City have rowed back from a Florian Wirtz deal amid the spiralling costs of the transfer, and it could offer them a smooth sailing route into a transfer alternative.
The Wirtz deal, amid competition from Bayern Munich and Liverpool, would be £100m+. City have several recruitment priorities this summer and have shown in the past they are prepared to walk away from a deal they don't think makes financial sense.
It makes the links with Lyon playmaker Rayan Cherki that bit more viable. He has enjoyed a superb season and is being touted as a possible Etihad arrival.
A precocious talent, the 21-year-old has seemingly married ability with work-rate and is reaping the rewards. He is flourishing at Lyon - having been linked with a move to Crystal Palace and Fulham last summer - and is now one of the most talked about young talents in European football.
He is one of the most creative players in Europe and, out of contract next year, could be set for a big move this summer. He has been linked with a clutch of top clubs - including Manchester United and Liverpool - and could be available for around £20million - a sizeable saving on Wirtz. There are also reports that the youngster has an attractive release clause in his current deal.
And while Cherki is a different type of player, perhaps more eye-catching but also more unpredictable and possibly more unreliable, there can be no doubting his talent. He predominantly plays wide on the right but can operate across the forward line and is two-footed. Indeed his long-term position is likely at number 10, and his coming of age season this term has elevated him to new heights.
He was outstanding for France Under-21s in a win over England in March and has 19 goal involvements in 30 matches in the French top flight this season, plus 12 in 12 in the Europa League.
He made quite the impression on Thierry Henry, who knows a thing or two about forward play and hitting the heights in the Premier League. When the Arsenal great was in charge of France Under-21s last year, he called Cherki into the squad having initially left him out, seemingly a challenge to bring his mentality up to the standards of his football ability.
“He has woken up,” Henry said in a press conference. “That’s good. Not seeing his name on the list should have annoyed him. He needs to show consistency because there is a huge difference between sometimes showing character and showing character all the time.
“I’m not talking about his quality because I have never seen a player in history who dribbles as quickly as him, with both feet."
He's long been touted for the top and is now realising that potential. As Henry said a year ago, he has woken up.
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