Manchester United have been linked with a move for Rayan CherkiManchester United have been linked with a move for Rayan Cherki
Manchester United have been linked with a move for Rayan Cherki | Getty Images
Liverpool are considering a move for Rayan Cherki as Barcelona wait in the background for Luis Diaz.
Arne Slot is doing the hard yards, and air miles, in an attempt to beat the rush for players this summer having been given considerably more to spend by Liverpool than he did last year.
Rayan Cherki would “die” to play football for Liverpool
One such move is the £34m interest in Rayan Cherki, Lyon’s mercurial playmaker who would add an entirely different dimension to Liverpool’s attack. Cherki wouldn’t just bring quality, he would bring exactly the sort of mentality that Slot is looking for.
“Feeling the coach's confidence is something that brings me a lot of confidence. I think it's a change on my part and it comes from the coach who knew how to figure me out and understand me,” Cherki told Lyon’s media team last season.
“I understood things throughout the start of the season and it is now used to keep the games going. I take every game as the last one of my life. I work every day to make my career explode. I am someone who has been impatient, I can manage my patience better because I am starting to play games.
“I was born in football, I'm going to die in football. It's important for me to be inspired by what's happening everywhere. Today, our period is complicated. I try to take inspiration from everywhere I can to improve our situation. When I have the opportunity to watch a game, I watch it. These are things that will bring me a lot.
“The more you play, the more you know how your teammates play. Now that I have playing time, I play easier and understand my teammates better.”
What has Deco said about Barcelona’s interest in Luis Diaz?
Should Cherki be signed, Luis Diaz’s time at Liverpool could be up. Bids of £72m have already been made by clubs from Saudi Arabia but have been rejected. Diaz wants a new contract and a pay rise, but is unlikely to get it with two years left on his current deal and at 28-years old.
Another club said to be monitoring Diaz’s situation is Barcelona. Barca’s sporting director Deco has opened up previously on transfer speculation when asked specifically about both Diaz and Man Utd’s want-away forward Marcus Rashford:
"We have been focusing on renewing contracts, after that, we'll discuss players to come,” reported BBC Sport.
"Of course, these two players [Diaz and Marcus Rashford], like you mentioned, they are good but have contracts in their clubs, so we won't speak because it's not fair. But when you decide to go to the market, for sure, we find some names. In my opinion, we don't need to bring many players.
“When I speak with the agents of the players, everyone wants to come or stay. So this is important. The image of the club is still good. We are proud because Barcelona is still such a big club, and the way we are playing football makes players want to come."
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