Man City have identified Rayan Cherki as Kevin De Bruyne’s replacement ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
The Belgian superstar is leaving the Manchester club after 10 successful years, as City opted not to offer the 33-year-old a new deal, leaving big shoes to be filled at the Etihad Stadium.
Man City are confident Cherki is the man to do it, as the 21-year-old is a big talent who can use both feet and is very strong going forward with the ball, which will be needed to replace the creativity of De Bruyne.
The French star is set to be part of Pep Guardiola’s midfield rebuild this summer, with Tijjani Reijnders also set to join Man City in the coming days.
An update has now been made on Manchester City’s progress in their deal for Cherki, with one main issue said to remain before the transfer can be completed.
- READ MORE: Man City have finally found the perfect replacement for ‘legend’ who left the club in 2021
The transfer fee is still an issue between Man City and Lyon for Rayan Cherki
Heading into the summer transfer window, Cherki was believed to have a £20m-£25m release clause in his Lyon contract, however, Fabrizio Romano stated last week that the clause is a complicated one, which Borussia Dortmund found out during the January transfer window.
The French star is expected to cost more than that, and according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, talks to bring the 21-year-old to the Etihad Stadium are going well, with an agreement on the transfer fee being the main issue at present.
“Talks between Manchester City and Rayan Cherki are progressing well,” Plettenberg reported on his X account. “Personal terms are almost agreed. The main issue remains the agreement on the transfer fee between Man City and Lyon.
“The Ligue 1 club want around €35M–€40M for the 21-year-old. Cherki is currently fully focused on his debut with the French national team; However, a long transfer saga is not expected. Man City are reportedly keen to have him in the squad for the Club World Cup.”
Cherki has already given the green light to move to Man City ahead of the new season, and it seems to be only a matter of time before the transfer gets over the line.
The French star is currently preparing with his national team ahead of a big game for Les Bleus against Spain on Thursday as they look to win their second UEFA Nations League title.
- READ MORE: Kylian Mbappe has already delivered Rayan Cherki verdict after he says yes to Man City move
When could Rayan Cherki make his debut for France
Cherki will be hoping to make his debut for France against Spain on Thursday as the Euro 2024 champions stand in the way of Didier Deschamps’ team and the final of the Nations League, where the 2021 winners could face either Portugal or Germany.
The 21-year-old will be hoping the season he had with Lyon will be enough to get him some minutes, although Deschamps will be impressed with his national team record at the lower levels, where the midfielder has often shone.
| Team | Games | Goals |
| France U23 | 2 | 0 |
| France U21 | 23 | 13 |
| France U19 | 3 | 2 |
Man City fans will hope to get a glimpse of Cherki in action on Thursday, but the Lyon star faces tough competition for minutes as the 21-year-old will likely be deployed on the wing, which is where Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele and Champions League final hero Desire Doue all operate.
It will be hard to see Cherki making his debut against Spain if the contest is a tight one, but the experience of being with the French national team will certainly benefit the 21-year-old in the future.
