Rayan Cherki has insisted he would be ready to join either Liverpool or Manchester City as the Lyon star looks set to be on the move this summer.
The 21-year-old has already confirmed he will be leaving his current club, despite signing a new contract just last year. Cherki has been regularly linked with Liverpool over the past year or so, although with the Reds now pursuing a deal for Florian Wirtz, it seems unlikely that the Frenchman will be heading to Anfield.
A move to City might be in the works instead, especially after Pep Guardiola’s side pulled out of the race to sign Wirtz over fears surrounding the amount they would have to pay to secure the Bayer Leverkusen star.
Speculation has been growing over a potential move to the Etihad for Cherki, with the Daily Mail claiming that City has opened talks over a potential deal.
Cherki, though, is seemingly still keeping his options open. When asked by L’Equipe whether the styles at Liverpool or City would make any difference to his decision this summer, the midfielder hinted that either could still be on the table.
“I’m ready for any system,” Cherki said. “I work every day, physically and mentally, to be ready.
“Above all, I’m trying to choose the best option for me, to develop as a person and a footballer.”
Lyon star Rayan Cherki
Rayan Cherki looks set to leave Lyon this summer (Image: Getty Images)
Cherki came very close to making a move last summer, with a switch to Paris Saint-Germain having looked on the cards before he decided to pursue a move to Borussia Dortmund instead.
The transfer to Germany never materialized, though, with Cherki having seemingly burned his bridges with PSG now.
Having then signed a new deal to keep him contracted to Lyon until 2026, Cherki looks as though he will finally earn a move this summer.
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“You’re never sure of anything. But I’ll say it: I did what I wanted to do at OL, be a true Lyonnais and give everything for my club,” Cherki added.
“I didn’t leave the ship in difficulty. I stayed, I gritted my teeth. I cried, I laughed, I was scared. But a man has to be like that, it’s part of his DNA. Even when it’s hard, even when you cry, even when you’re scared, you have to go to war for your club.”
Explaining why a move didn’t happen last year, Cherki said: “It always comes back to the same thing: I’m a human being. I could have made other choices, gone to Paris Saint-Germain directly and very early in the transfer window, without even talking to Dortmund. But that’s part of my story, of my stages.”