It's going to be a crucial week on the market for Manchester City after internal talks took place once again in the last 48 hours to plan for movements ahead of the short window open for clubs travelling to the FIFA Club World Cup in less than two weeks. Man City have discussed their strategy internally once again with Pep Guardiola, who’s always fully involved.
Man City Confident in Rayan Cherki Deal
Deal is advancing well
Rayan Cherki in action for Lyon
Sources reveal that Pep has been in contact with Rayan Cherki in the recent days, as the Olympique Lyon playmaker is a key target for Manchester City, with Morgan Gibbs-White still onthe shortlist but currently considered too expensive. For sure, the transfer fee for Cherki will be higher than the reported €30m (£25m), but Manchester City are advancing well after direct contact was made with Olympique Lyon.
The president John Textor will surely require more than that, but the conversation is now ongoing and Manchester City are confident to reach an agreement in the upcoming days. On the other hand, City have spoken to the player and his agents about contract terms, project, vision and more… with Guardiola involved in direct conversations with Cherki to make sure they’re aligned ahead of a potential future together.
Cherki
It’s also important to mention that there are more clubs keen on signing Rayan Cherki, as Borussia Dortmund tried to do with no success in January; Premier League sides are involved in the race in case Man City deal falls through, but for sure Citizens director Hugo Viana is the favorite to bring Cherki and start the rebuilding this summer.
For sure, Man City will also need a number 8 and the clear target there remains Tijjani Reijnders. After the initial €60m (£51m) proposal was rejected by AC Milan, the two clubs remain in talks with intermediaries working on this deal. Man City are prepared to improve their proposal and get the deal done for Reijnders, another key target wanted by Pep Guardiola for the long-term project at Manchester City. AC Milan are not accepting €60m but with a new proposal, the expectation is for the deal to get done.
Two cases to watch in the upcoming days: City are ready to attack the market.
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All statistics courtesy of SofaScore - correct as of 01/06/2025