Summary
Florian Wirtz and Rayan Cherki's stats have been compared ahead of their touted Premier League moves.
Wirtz is the number one target for Liverpool while Cherki is set to join Manchester City.
There is very little to choose between the two according to the data.
Two of the brightest young stars in football right now look set to grace the Premier League, with Florian Wirtz and Rayan Cherki's imminent arrivals at Liverpool and Manchester City respectively becoming two of the most hotly discussed deals in the early stages of the 2025 summer transfer window.
Wirtz has been a major talking point in German football ever since emerging as one of the crucial components of Xabi Alonso's double-winning Bayer Leverkusen team. Meanwhile in France, Cherki has been tearing things up for Lyon, following in the footsteps of one Karim Benzema.
With the pair now set for major moves – Wirtz's reportedly worth in excess of £100 million, while his counterpart may be able to complete a switch for a little over £25 million – GIVEMESPORT has decided to take a look at how they each performed during the 2024/25 season to decide which of the English giants is getting the better deal by bringing in their chosen playmaking wonderkid.
All stats have been taking from the players' 2024/25 league performances.
salahronaldo Related
Cristiano Ronaldo 2007-08 vs Mohamed Salah 2024-25 Stats Comparison
Fans have long debated over who's better between Mohamed Salah and Cristiano Ronaldo - but what do the stats tell us?
Finishing
There is not much to separate the two
Given that they both play at the top end of the pitch, goalscoring is an important part of what both of these players will need to bring to the table at their new clubs, even if it isn't necessarily priority number one. Liverpool do have Mohamed Salah, while City rely heavily on Erling Haaland for goals - though some additional support wouldn't go amiss.
When it comes to finding the net in the league, it is Wirtz who just has the edge, having managed 10 goals in the Bundesliga compared to Cherki's 8 in Ligue 1. That being said, there is an argument to suggest that the former is actually the more inefficient of the two.
While Wirtz's overall shot accuracy is higher, his conversion rate is lower than Cherki’s. Put them in teams that are likely to create near-identical chances per game, and if this is anything to go by, it may be the young French star who makes the greater impression.
Wirtz vs Cherki - Finishing Stats
Statistic
Goals
Shot accuracy (%)
Conversion rate (%)
florian wirtz-1 Related
How Liverpool-Bound Florian Wirtz Performed During Germany 1-2 Portugal
All eyes were on the future British-record signing - and Liverpool supporters have given their verdict on his display for Germany.
Chance Creation
Little to choose between both players
When it comes to creating chances, there is even less to separate the two players. Again, it is Wirtz who takes the cake when it comes to overall assists, but it is by the barest of margins (12-11). However, when you look deeper into the numbers, you can make a case for Cherki just being unlucky.
The Lyon star has averaged 3.3 chances created per game compared to his counterpart’s 2.2. Add to that the fact they both also play one through ball per game, and there is a question as to whether the young Frenchman has simply been robbed of more assists by his teammates who have applied the finishing touches to the opportunities he presents.
|Wirtz vs Cherki - Finishing Stats|
|Statistic|Wirtz|Cherki|
|Assists|12|11|
|Chances created per 90|2.2|3.3|
|Through balls per 90|1|1|
|---|
Rayan Cherki player profile as Premier League clubs target summer transfer move in 2025 Related
Who is Rayan Cherki as Premier League Clubs Target Summer Move
The Lyon play-maker could be set to bring his talents to English football.
Possession
It is an even split across the key areas
As for how the pair keep hold of and utilise possession, they are once again neck and neck. Ten statistics were taken into account, and both of the budding stars came out on top in five of them.
For Wirtz, he took home top spot in passes attempted and completed in the opposition half per ninety. He also completed more take-ons and came out on top in more duels too. Furthermore, the 22-year-old also did his bit on the defensive side, completing more ball recoveries per game than his opponent.
Where Cherki seemed strongest was in his ball-carrying ability. He had a higher take-on success rate despite completing fewer take-ons, while he also managed to lose possession on fewer occasions per ninety and took more touches in the opposition penalty area. Perhaps most impressively, despite having a higher average of forward passes, the 21-year-old winger still came away with better pass accuracy overall.
|Wirtz vs Cherki - Possession Stats|
|Statistic|Wirtz|Cherki|
|Passes attempted|60.8|53.5|
|Pass accuracy (%)|82.33|84.13|
|Passes completed in opposition half per 90|39.5|32.3|
|Forward passes per 90|14|15.1|
|Take-ons completed per 90|3.2|2.2|
|Take-on success per 90 (%)|50.93|52.75|
|Duels won per 90|6.2|4.5|
|Ball recoveries per 90|4.4|3.7|
|Possession lost per 90|21.7|19.2|
|Touches in opposition box per 90|6.2|6.5|
|---|
florian wirtz bayer leverkusen Related
Florian Wirtz Wants Specific Number at Liverpool But Key Man Already Has It
If he doesn't get it, he looks set to wear a pretty unlucky number instead.
Conclusion
Cherki's price tag gives him the edge
Rayan Cherki
The data shows that the two players could hardly be more evenly matched if they tried, which is great news for fans, as it should make for compelling viewing if and when the moves are made and the new season commences.
Wirtz has so far not seemed to struggle handling the intense pressure that comes with being labelled as the sport’s next big superstar, though his recent form has taken a dip. Regardless, he should be mentally strong enough to handle the enormous fee that will follow him to Anfield.
It has happened plenty of times where a player is bought for an extortionate amount of money and it doesn’t pay off. Philippe Coutinho, Ousmane Dembélé and Antoine Griezmann all made the move to Barcelona for fees in a similar region to what Liverpool are looking to sign Wirtz for. Subjectively and objectively, they all failed.
While both sets of arrivals should deliver the goods, the lower risk attached to Cherki due to the cost is perhaps the key factor that makes him the slightly more appealing pick-up of the two.
All statistics courtesy of Squawka and Transfermarkt - accurate as of 05/06/2025.