Lyon will resist offers from Chelsea for playmaker Rayan Cherki
As per the Guardian, Lyon will be determined any interest and offer from Chelsea to sign their playmaker Rayan Cherki during this summer window.
There is a speculation that the French side have to sell some players this summer to balance their financial books. They won’t be looking to do that by selling Cherki it seems.
Chelsea see Cherki as a direct replacement for Christian Pulisic in the squad. The latter has signed for AC Milan after four underwhelming years at Stamford Bridge.
The former, on the other hand, is another fantastic product of the famous Lyon academy. He made his senior debut there during the 2019/20 season and has since gone from strength to strength to become one of the finest playmakers in his age bracket playing in France.
In 102 appearances in all competitions for the French side, Cherki has scored 14 goals and assisted 16 (Transfermarkt). He is an attacking midfield player who can comfortably operate on either wing.
The 19-year-old is a playmaker with an eye for goals and assists. He is good at taking people on in the final third, finding the right passes and making interesting runs towards the opposition box.
It is great to see that at such a young age, Cherki has crossed the 100-game mark in senior football. That would not only help him grow exponentially but also aid him to play a lot of games at the elite level.
The French U21’s contract at Lyon expires in the summer of 2025 (Transfermarkt). Bearing the report in mind, it feels like the French side are determined to not lose him.
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But, it is up to Chelsea to keep trying and see if the club budges to any offer. Not sure about him being a potential Pulisic replacement, but Cherki has the talent and versatility to do very well at Stamford Bridge in various positions across the final third.