Manchester City could soon bring Rayan Cherki to the Premier League.
The Lyon No.18 is about to enter the final 12 months of his contract, and with the Ligue 1 outfit in need of cash, a sale seems likely – even more so due to the fact he has a £25m release clause in his contract.
It was the Telegraph who claimed that Hugo Viana is considering Cherki as an alternative to Florian Wirtz – who is seemingly heading to Liverpool – and the link is an exciting one for Manchester City, seeing as he scored 12 goals and provided 20 assists in 44 appearances last season.
However, Thierry Henry has already told Manchester City why the attacking midfielder could be a “problem” for Pep Guardiola if a deal materialises.
Thierry Henry believes Rayan Cherki can neglect his defensive duties
The Arsenal legend worked closely with the 21-year-old when managing the France U21 side, and also the France squad for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, so he knows him well.
🇫🇷✨ The goal from Rayan Cherki (21) against Olympiacos… 💥💥 pic.twitter.com/NeYCSOQH2g
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) September 27, 2024
During his interactions with Cherki, Henry noticed a lack of defensive contribution, something he has improved on at Lyon this term, telling L’Equipe: “This season, he has shown that he knows how to do what is expected of him without the ball.
More Man City News
“His problem was that he had never been able to play a string of matches to show what an extraordinary player he is, but to play a string of matches, he had to do things defensively throughout the duration of a match. This season, he did it, so he played a string of matches.
“For me, we’re talking about a guy who should have been battling with the others, at the very top, for a long time to see who is the best. He fell behind because it took him a while to understand.”
Pep Guardiola would not stand for any laziness from Rayan Cherki
While Henry believes Cherki has sorted this flaw in his game this season, it remains a concern in the industry.
Young Player of the Season Rayan Cherki lighting up the #UEL 🔥 pic.twitter.com/XO7icFKzdV
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) May 23, 2025
The Telegraph even mention it in their report, stating that clubs who have shortlisted the attacking midfielder highlight his work rate as a weakness.
Guardiola is not a coach who accepts anything less than 100% from his players, so Viana – Director of Football at the Etihad Stadium – needs to be entirely sure Cherki has ironed out this crease in his game before delivering him to the demanding Spaniard.