Manchester United have been struggling to score goals all throughout the season and it is clear that Ruben Amorim will prioritise the addition of a ruthless goalscorer in the summer.
But as Rasmus Hojlund has found out at times, sometimes service has been lacking especially with Amad injured and Alejandro Garnacho experiencing a slump in form.
Add to this the fact that Bruno Fernandes has been forced to play in a deeper position and any incoming striker could do with a creative force behind him.
Rayan Cherki’s form this season has caught the attention of all of Europe’s elite sides and Amorim saw first hand what the Frenchman can produce last Thursday.
Cherki in red-hot form
The Olympique Lyonnais ace scored the equaliser in injury time in the Europa League quarter-final first leg after a howler from Andre Onana. This season, the 21-year-old has 10 goals and 18 assists in all competitions.
He ranks in the 99th percentile for assists, shot-creating actions and progressive passes, and in the 95th percentile for successful dribbles (via fbref). This shows his mastery with the ball at his feet.
He has rightly been termed a wizard by teammate Ainsley Maitland-Niles. “He is the best natural talent I’ve ever seen. An absolute master, a wizard with the ball,” the former Arsenal star told BBC Sport.
In good news for the Red Devils, Real Madrid have left the race but as per CaughtOffside, INEOS will have to contend with Liverpool to win the race for the France U21 international.
“Manchester United and Liverpool are among the clubs continuing to consider a transfer swoop for in-form Lyon star Rayan Cherki.
Liverpool vs United
“Sources with a close understanding of the situation have informed CaughtOffside that Cherki is expected to leave Lyon this summer after also attracting interest in January.
“The talented young Frenchman was the subject of enquiries from Man Utd and Liverpool during the January window, as CaughtOffside reported at the time, and sources expect them to try again for him in the summer.”
Arsenal, Tottenham, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are some of the other teams eyeing Cherki and it will be interesting to see who finally lands the talented star.
His contract is up in 2026 and he has a release clause of just €30 million, which will suit INEOS just fine. The Frenchman can not only play as an attacking midfielder but he can also do a job out wide if required.
Feature image Michael Steele via Getty Images
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Ayantan Chowdhury
Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25
