Rayan Cherki is attracting interest from a number of top European clubs
Highly-rated Lyon playmaker Rayan Cherki has emerged as a top target for Manchester City and it’s widely believed that a bid for the 21-year-old is imminent this summer.
The French playmaker is expected to leave Lyon in the coming months after a 15-year-association with the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes based side and it appears England is his most likely destination based on recent reports.
Lyon are in a situation where they are looking to cash in on a number of their prized assets despite securing a sixth place finish and qualification for the Europa League.
The French giants were provisionally relegated to the second tier in November, as well as being handed a transfer ban after racking up over €500million in debt and though efforts have been made over the winter to ensure the club remain on a sound financial footing, it remains likely that more players will leave the Ligue 1 outfit to ease financial concerns.
Manchester United have been heavily linked with Cherki throughout the summer as they look to add fresh spark to an underperforming team but as it stands City are thought to be leading the race.
Fabrizio Romano issues Rayan Cherki update
Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that City have set their sights on a move for Rayan Cherki and has claimed that an opening offer is likely to be submitted to the French side this week.
The Etihad club are in the process of a rebuild after finishing third in the league table and failing to win silverware for the first time since 2017.
The Sky Blues picked up just 71 points all season and were 13 points adrift of the league title, marking the lowest points tally of Pep Guardiola’s entire managerial career.
Kevin de Bruyne has already confirmed that he’ll be leaving on a free transfer while it seems almost inevitable that Jack Grealish will follow suit after falling down the pecking order in recent months.
Cherki has registered 12 goals and 20 assists in 44 matches across all competitions this season and is viewed as the calibre of player that could help City climb back to the summit.
Rayan Cherki faces huge transfer decision
Rayan Cherki has enjoyed a standout season for Lyon, which has seen him become a target for a number of the Premier League’s elite clubs.
He’s been on the verge of breaking into the France national team for a while after registering 13 goals in 23 appearances at Under-21 level while also playing a defining role in the team’s road to the final at last summer’s Olympic Games in Paris.
Cherki is technically gifted, two-footed and blessed with the ability to score plenty of goals, make assists and get fans off their seats.
These qualities have led to speculation that United would try to sign him, particularly after his impressive displays against them in the Europa League semi-final.
TBR Football claims that while plenty of clubs have enquired about Cherki, the two leading clubs are United and City.
At City, Cherki would be guaranteed Champions League football and the chance to play under Pep Guardiola while being surrounded by world class talent. However, he could find first team minutes hard to come by amid competition from Jeremy Doku, Bernardo Silva, Savinho, Oscar Bobb, Omar Marmosuh, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish if he remains among others.
Meanwhile, at United, he’d have no European football and would very much be entering into a project under Ruben Amorim after a calamitous campaign. However, at United he would be almost guaranteed regular minutes and the opportunity to be the main man at what remains one of the biggest and well supported teams on the planet.
Cherki has a release clause reported to be around £20m, according to Football Insider, making him hugely appealing to both clubs.
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