Rayan Cherki: The Lyon attacking midfielder and ‘exceptional dribbler’ on Chelsea's radar
Published 14/07/2023 at 13:05 GMT
As astonishing as it may seem Rayan Cherki, still hasn’t turned 20 yet, with the Lyon attacking midfielder seeming to have been around forever having made his debut at 16. However he could soon be playing for a different club with many reports linking him to Chelsea. Is this a good move? We asked Eurosport France’s Martin Mosnier for his thoughts.
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If the reports are to be believed, Chelsea are preparing to get their transfer window up and running in the next few days with the signing of Rayan Cherki from Olympique Lyonnais.
Chelsea signed Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson at the start of the transfer window but have been quiet since, instead focusing on outgoings than incomings.
But reports across the media sphere are linking them to Cherki, 19, as Lyon are currently suffering from transfer sanctions (more on that later).
Cherki burst onto the scene at Lyon aged just 16, having long been considered to be one of the best products of their fabled youth academy.
However his is a classic case of a career littered with stops and starts and three years later it still doesn’t feel as if he has really arrived yet. So to find out more ahead of his potential move to Chelsea and the Premier League, we got in touch with our colleague Martin Mosnier from Eurosport France.
First of all we asked Mosnier what kind of player Cherki is.
“He’s really an attacking midfielder although he can also play as a left winger.” Mosnier said.
“Cherki is an exceptional dribbler, one of the first things one notices when watching him is that he appears to be ambipedal, as he can seemingly utilise both feet equally well.
“His strengths are as follows: key passes, dribbling and his ability to create something out of nothing.
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Rayan Cherki
Image credit: Getty Images
“But, because there's always a but, he's not a great defensive contributor and he's still very inconsistent - but he's still only 19!”
When asked for a potential player comparison, Mosnier suggests Hatem Ben Arfa, which might worry some Chelsea fans, but it is important just how incredible Ben Arfa was when he broke through at Lyon. Plus, there are no indications that Cherki will struggle with the same things off the field that plagued Ben Arfa.
Mosnier also said that he thinks that despite his slender frame Cherki could adapt to the rigours of the Premier League in a similar vein to Chelsea legend Eden Hazard, but questioned whether he is ready for a move to England.
“He could very well become a Premier League star like Eden Hazard, but I think it's still too early for him to leave.
“He needs to become more consistent and regular. To do that, he needs game time. At Lyon, he has just completed his first full half-season. He's only become an important player since January...”
Speaking of his run from January, that featured one of the most outrageous goals that we think we have ever seen, you can watch it below.
So why hasn’t he playing more regularly? In the 2020-21 and 2021-22 season Cherki started a grand total of eight games. The season just gone the figure rose up to 21, with the vast majority coming in 2023, why was this the case?
“Despite his enormous talent, his former coaches didn't give him the playing time he wanted because he wasn't ready to make the defensive effort and could endanger the team as a result of that.
“[Current Lyon manager] Laurent Blanc has changed everything and adapted the team to work around him more.
“And as a result since January Cherki has exploded.”
So with all of this being said why are Lyon trying to sell Cherki? Well, as is the case in so many cases across Europe, the answer is simple.
“The DNCG, French football's financial watchdog, has announced that it will be sanctioning Lyon.
“Lyon’s transfer activity and wage bill are currently monitored by DNCG. If Lyon sell Cherki, they will be able to recruit the players they want this summer.
“This is why they are having to sell such a talented player.”
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