Manchester City are pushing to complete the signing of Rayan Cherki from Lyon.
Pep Guardiola is keen to add four to five new faces to his squad this summer, and Cherki is part of the plan for the City coach’s midfield revamp.
The Manchester club are hoping the French star will follow the addition of Tijjani Reijnders, as it was reported on Wednesday that everything is now in place for the Premier League side to announce the signing of the AC Milan star.
Man City have already agreed personal terms with Cherki; however, the transfer fee remains an issue with Lyon, and The Athletic’s David Ornstein has now provided an update regarding how everybody is feeling about the move.
Man City optimistic they can get Rayan Cherki deal done
It was reported on Wednesday that Man City have had their first offer for Cherki rejected by Lyon, with the Premier League club still £10m short of the Ligue 1 side’s £29m asking price.
Despite this, Ornstein has revealed that the Manchester club’s pursuit of the 21-year-old is progressing well and that everybody is confident that it will get done over the coming days.
“Lyon are in a position where there’s only a year left on his contract. Finances are not in the best shape there. There were reports of a release clause at €25m,” Ornstein said on The Athletic FC Podcast.
“That’s not true to my knowledge. Perhaps there was some understanding that he could go for that sort of amount. But that doesn’t ring true in terms of what’s actually happening now.
“Because Lyon are demanding a negotiation and want to sort of double that price. Or certainly far higher. So, Manchester City have made the most concerted efforts to sign him.”
“And I think they’re on course to get it done. They’re in a good place on it. They’re progressing and in the coming days, I’m sure we’ll hear a lot more on that if they manage to get it over the line.
“It’s not agreed so far. So there is still work to do. But everybody I’ve spoken to around it has expressed optimism.”
Ornstein also revealed that Man City have already done their checks on Cherki’s personality; therefore, once a transfer fee is agreed between the two clubs, the deal is expected to progress quickly, as several other clubs wait to see what happens.
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Other clubs interested in Man City target Rayan Cherki
Man City are clearly in pole position to sign Cherki; however, when it comes to the transfer window, things can go wrong quickly, which is why other clubs will be keeping an eye on the negotiations.
This week, it was reported that Arne Slot recently met with Cherki, as Liverpool are one of the main clubs interested in the Lyon star, and could make a move should their pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz go wrong.
In addition to the Premier League champions, TBR Football reports that Man United, Tottenham and Newcastle have all been monitoring the 21-year-old’s situation at Lyon, as all three are keen to strengthen their attacking options ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
Cherki has his heart set on a move to England, but outside of the Premier League, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig remain keen on the French talent, along with Serie A outfit Atalanta.
