Manchester City have reached agreement with Lyon’s Rayan Cherki

Manchester City have reached an agreement to sign Rayan Cherki from Lyon.

Manchester City were already exploring a deal for Cherki and were hopeful of signing the 21-year-old. Both clubs have now reached an agreement on a few of €40 million (£33.7m) for the player.

The Premier League club and the player have also agreed on a long-term contract which will keep him at the club until 2023. The deal is now in the process of being finalised and if done in time he is expected to be part of City’s squad for the Club World Cup, which begins in the United States later this week.

Read: Manchester City offer Rodri new long-term deal

City shall kickoff the tournament against Wydad AC on June 18 before games against Al Ain (June 22) and Juventus (June 26).

Who is Rayan Cherki?

Cherki recorded the best attacking output of his career during the 2024-25 season. His versatility allows him to play in attacking midfield and on the right wing, scoring 12 goals and 20 assists.The player also scored in both legs during his side’s 7-6 aggregate defeat to Manchester United in the Europa League semi-final.

He was named in the Europa League Team of the Season and also earned his first call-up for France’s senior team for the final matches of the Nations League knockout stages in June. He made his senior debut off the bench in the Nations League semi-final defeat to Spain and scored before starting the third-place playoff win over Germany.

Cherki: Lyon’s golden boy

In February, John Textor, whose Eagle Football Group owns a 77 per cent stake in Lyon, told Canal+ there was “no chance” the club would have to sell Cherki to aid their finances.

Lyon were issued provisional relegation to Ligue 2 and a transfer ban in November, after accounts filed by Eagle Football Group showed its financial debt stood at €505.1million (£422m).

Last summer, Fulham had an offer for Cherki worth an initial £12 million, with further add-ons, accepted by Lyon. Crystal Palace and Paris Saint-Germain also held interest in the forward, who decided against a move.

At that time, Cherki had trained separately from his team-mates in anticipation of a summer transfer.

Read: Manchester City reach agreement to sign Tijjani Reijnders from Milan

He made his debut for Lyon at the age of 16 in October 2019, and during the 2019-20 season he became the youngest goalscorer in the club’s history (16 years, 140 days). He then also became the youngest player to play in a Champions League semi-final (aged 17 years, 3 days), when he featured against Bayern Munich in 2020.

Cherki has made 185 appearances for Lyon.

Why Man City need Cherki

Cherki is a versatile youngster; his ability to use both feet allows him to play off both wings and central, which is central to Guardiola’s adaptability style. He also possesses intriguing trickery and footwork that makes him one of the most aesthetically pleasing players around. His ability to find the killer pass could also be crucial in providing City with the spark they need after losing their main creator in Kevin De Bruyne.