- EXCLUSIVE from Graeme Bailey
Lyon winger Rayan Cherki is prioritising a £15 million move to Paris Saint-Germain despite long-standing interest from Premier League trio Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United.
Paris Saint-Germain have recently swapped their ‘Galactico’ project for a new approach in the transfer market. One that revolves around making the Parc des Princes home to the nation’s best, homegrown talent.
PSG splashed out heavily on Randal Kolo Muani and Lucas Hernandez last summer, bringing in the France international duo from Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayern Munich. Speedy forward Bradley Barcola also joined after a fine breakout season with Lyon.
And HITC understands that another graduate of Lyon’s feted academy could also now be on his way to the capital.
The London-based trio of Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United have all admired Rayan Cherki from the other side of the Channel for some time now. But with Cherki’s heart set on a move to Paris, it appears that his Premier League suitors would be fighting a losing battle inserting themselves into the race for the 20-year-old’s signature.
Tottenham and Chelsea likely to miss out on Rayan Cherki
PSG are pushing hard, HITC can confirm, and have opened talks over a deal worth around £15 million. The Lyon-born Cherki wants the move to happen too. He has only one year left on his Olympique Lyonnais contract and is keen to link up with former Spain, Roma and Barcelona boss Luis Enrique at the Ligue 1 champions.
HITC were told in May that a number of clubs in England see Cherki as a huge talent. Brentford, Newcastle and Tottenham Hotspur were also keeping abreast of the France Under 21 international’s situation.
One of the most naturally talented young players in the country, the elegant Cherki has been likened to the mercurial former Lyon whizzkid Hatem Ben Arfa. His silky dribbling skills, meanwhile, have also drawn comparisons with Chelsea icon Eden Hazard, former Lyon coach Laurent Blanc highlighting his ‘exceptional qualities’ back in 2023.
“He’s a very exciting talent,” Ligue 1 expert Jonathan Johnson tells Caught Offside. “Somebody who looks to have a great career ahead of him.
“Similarly to Eden Hazard when he first established himself (at Lille), he looks very technically skilled, versatile, and he’s probably the best young player to emerge from Lyon’s youth academy for many years, possibly even since Karim Benzema.”
PSG target can emulate Eden Hazard
Cherki, who has an Algerian background like Benzema and Zinedine Zidane, scored only three goals for Lyon in 2023/24. He did, however, provide nine assists as an Alexandre Lacazette-inspired side went from relegation battlers to European hopefuls under coach Pierre Sage.
Cherki remains a raw, inconsistent talent. France youth coach and legendary forward Thierry Henry is backing the youngster to add an element of reliability to his game if he is to reach the levels of Benzema or Hazard.
“It’s just logical. He was with us for a little while,” Henry said while handing Cherki a belated call-up for France’s Olympics squad, via EuroSport. “He wasn’t on the list at the start, so there’s some we’ll have to do. (Cherki must) work on and prove (himself).
“He was angry (at not being called up initially)? He should have been angry at Lyon for three months!
“He’s a boy who dribbles right and left. I’ve rarely seen that. Everyone likes him, but you have to be consistent.”
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