Manchester United target Rayan Cherki has agreed to join local rivals Manchester City after an agreement was struck for the attacking midfielder, Fabrizio Romano reveals.
Cherki, 21, has emerged as one of the standout creators in Europe this season, scoring 12 goals and providing a staggering 20 assists in all competitions for Lyon.
With only one year remaining on his deal at the Groupama Stadium, a host of clubs across the continent were on red-alert to secure his signature this summer.
The French starlet caught the eye of United fans during the quarter-final clash in the Europa League in April. Though the pulsating tie finished 7-6 in favour of Ruben Amorim’s side, courtesy of a last-minute winner from Harry Maguire at Old Trafford, Cherki scored three times across both legs and was a constant threat throughout.
United hold a long-standing interest in Cherki as the midfielder was considered an elite prospect as an academy star in France. But the Red Devils were believed to be ready to formalise this interest into an official offer as the club searched for reinforcements for Amorim’s misfiring forward line.
Cherki appears tailor made for the right-sided number ten role in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system with United having already agreed a £62.5 million deal for Matheus Cunha to operate on the left-hand side.
But the Lyon talisman’s prospective price was far cheaper than Cunha, as well as Brentford winger Bryan Mbeumo, who United have accelerated negotiations for after their pursuit of Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap fell through.
United are evidently prioritising players with Premier League pedigree this summer. The failures of recruiting from abroad – e.g. Antony, Rasmus Hojlund, Jadon Sancho among a long list – is evidently one INEOS are adamant not to repeat in this window.
Which is why a pursuit of Cherki never materialised, despite reports suggesting United were ready to move for the France U-21 star.
This anxiety was not shared by the club’s bitter rivals, however, with both City and Liverpool entering talks to sign the 21-year-old. But it is the Citizens who have won the race for Cherki, as Romano reveals, with Liverpool prioritising a move for Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz instead.
The Italian transfer guru has given his trademark ‘Here We Go’ to the City’s pursuit of Cherki with a “€35 million package with add-ons” agreed with Lyon.
🚨🔵 BREAKING: Rayan Cherki to Manchester City, here we go! Deal in place club to club after direct contact.
Cherki will sign five year deal as #MCFC player, OL to receive €35m package with add-ons as L’Équipé reports.
Documents being prepared in time for Club World Cup. pic.twitter.com/Mv16bLp7CK
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 9, 2025
Tweet: “BREAKING: Rayan Cherki to Manchester City, here we go! Deal in place club to club after direct contact.
Cherki will sign five year deal as #MCFC player, OL to receive €35m package with add-ons as L’Équipé reports. Documents being prepared in time for Club World Cup.”
Featured image Michael Steele via Getty Images
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
