Manchester City have intensified their pursuit of Manchester United target Rayan Cherki, with the player open to making the switch.
According to a report from TEAMtalk, Manchester City have entered the race for the services of Rayan Cherki. They are set to battle rivals Manchester United for his signature and have already stepped up their interest in the Olympique Lyon sensation.
Cherki has shown a strong desire to play under Pep Guardiola and has already given the green light to the move. City certainly seem to have the upper hand in the race to sign the French youth international, who is regarded as one of the biggest prospects in Europe.
The 21-year-old who has come up the ranks at Lyon was on the verge of joining PSG last summer. But the move collapsed in the final stages. While he ended up staying at his childhood club and penned a new two-year deal that runs until 2026, he is now set to take the next step in his career.
Since he will only have a year left on his deal in the summer, Lyon are ready to cash in on him. Manchester United are one of the clubs that are interested in his services thanks to his impressive performance against them in the Europa League.
Ruben Amorim seeks more creativity in the final third and considers the 21-year-old an ideal fit for his system thanks to his versatility. Cherki contributed towards 32 goals in his 44 outings during the 2024/25 season and he can certainly solve quite a few of United’s problems.
Manchester City closing in on Cherki’s signature
But they don’t seem to be the front runners as Manchester City have joined the race and they have already intensified their pursuit. City were looking to add Florian Wirtz to their squad but they have missed out on the Bayer Leverkusen sensation.
Now, they have shifted their attention towards Cherki, who is a much more cost-effective option for them as he reportedly has a £20 million (€24m / $27m) release clause. City see it as a bargain fee for someone with his abilities and it has prompted them to act quickly.
They have already initiated contact with Lyon as they look to agree on a deal in the coming weeks. They have received a massive boost in their pursuit as Cherki has expressed a strong desire to play under Guardiola. Since they already have a green light from his end, they are quite confident of bringing him to Manchester.