Manchester United are chasing Olympique Lyonnais playmaker Rayan Cherki and are one of two clubs “leading the race” to sign him in the summer, according to reports.
Ruben Amorim knows the 21-year-old’s quality all too well after the Frenchman’s starring role in both legs of the dramatic Europa League quarter-final.
Cherki scored the 95th-minute equaliser to kill United’s jubilation in the first leg, which ended 2-2 in France, then put Lyon ahead in extra time at Old Trafford before the Red Devils mounted a thrilling comeback to win 5-4 on the night.
It’s little wonder that the young playmaker is of extreme interest to United, who have been linked with him before and are chronically short of effective forward options, and Caught Offside report that they are right at the head of the queue to bring him in.
It’s a position they share with rivals Tottenham Hotspur, with the two underachieving Premier League clubs “both in search of more dynamic attacking options”, and accordingly “leading the race to sign the 21-year-old Ligue 1 star.”
This is in no way a guarantee that either side will land him, as “some of Europe’s biggest clubs are intensifying their efforts” to sign Cherki.
These clubs reportedly include Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen, and Italian powerhouses AC Milan and Juventus.
There is also considerable interest from other Premier League sides with Arsenal, Newcastle United, Aston Villa and even Crystal Palace, who see him as a potential replacement for United target Eberechi Eze should he leave in the summer, all keeping tabs on him.
This will be music to Cherki’s ears as Caught Offside claim he is “keen on a new challenge” and “views the Premier League as his preferred destination.”
And it seems that cash-strapped Lyon are happy to help him on his way, setting a bargain asking price of €30-35m – “a figure that many top European clubs consider a bargain given his exceptional talent and quality.”
It certainly sets him apart from other similarly promising players, and in today’s market is a snip for a creative mastermind who is also good in front of goal.
Cherki has scored 12 goals and registered 19 assists for Lyon this season, the kind of numbers United fans can currently only dream of.
Both the Red Devils and Spurs are impressed with his “improved professionalism and maturity” and view him as “a player who can provide moments of individual brilliance”, which the Manchester side have seen up close in the flesh.
Hopefully the 21-year-old liked what he saw at Old Trafford and United can get a deal over the line, as players this talented very rarely come this cheap.
Featured image Michael Steele via Getty Images
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Joe Ponting
Joe has spent more than half his life writing about football and all of it following United. As a child he told a doctor his name was ‘Paul Scholes’, but could never pick a pass like him no matter how much he tried.
