The £25m genius forward signing who will see Man United finally end 'banter era' - if they act fast
Manchester United are thought to be interested in signing a talented French wonderkid
Manchester United went from the brink of despair to elation as they kept their season alive in dramatic fashion by coming back from 4-2 down in extra time to secure a 5-4 victory in French side Lyon in the Europa League quarter-final.
It was a long way from a vintage Red Devils display as Ruben Amorim’s side squandered a two goal lead in the space of just seven minutes, before conceding twice to a side that had been reduced to ten men just moments before the start of extra time. However, the pandemonium of coming back from the brink could be enough to inspire a strong end of the season push, with a semi-final against Athletic Bilbao now on the horizon.
Thursday’s win is arguably right up there with one of the most famous nights at Old Trafford since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure, but it comes as one of few highlights in an otherwise grim season for the club. A busy summer awaits in the North West, regardless of the club’s Europa League fortunes - and one player fans may get used to seeing more of is Lyon’s Rayan Cherki, who impressed throughout Thursday’s contest.
Manchester United’s long-running interest in Rayan Cherki
Mail Sport claim that Manchester United are expected to up the ante with their efforts to sign Lyon wonderkid Rayan Cherki in the summer after six years of solid interest. The versatile winger was first courted by the club when he was just 15, and in many ways is an example of a fine talent that got away from the recruitment team.
L’Equipe waxed lyrical of Cherki’s talents at the time and told of how ‘Manchester United is under the spell of the 15-year-old player’. Some of the Cherki entourage met with United officials and got a look at facilities at Old Trafford and Carrington. But that was 2019 and, with no deal struck, Cherki remained in the south of France.
That same season at aged 16 years and 102 days, Cherki would make his debut in the Champions League - and a year later he’d become the youngest footballer to ever play in a Champions League semi-final. He showed plenty of promise in his early years at Lyon due to his incredible speed, technical qualities and ability to unlock defences but it’s only over this season that people have seen the best of the youngster who is still only 21-years-old.
Man Utd plot fresh move for Rayan Cherki
Rayan Cherki has racked up 180 appearances for Lyon and has registered 29 goals and 43 assists across all competitions for the club. He’s viewed as one of the finest young talents in Ligue 1 and is currently experiencing his best season to date as he pushes for a first ever international call-up.
Cherki has a total of 12 goals and 18 assists from all competitions this term and is the leading assist maker in the Europa League within eight in the competition. While also being the joint leader in his division alongside Bradley Barcola and FC Nantes’ Moses Simon.
“There was no other big club interested in Cherki before now because of his performances,” Le Progres reporter Arnaud Clement told Mail Sport. “He’s been really impressive on a technical level since his childhood, but previously he had so much waste in his game.Only since the beginning of this season has he been really decisive and so important for Lyon in every game.”
Lyon have struggled with financial difficulties in recent seasons and face the prospect of being relegated to Ligue 2 if they cannot get their affairs in order before the end of the campaign. This could give United a great opportunity to land the youngster at an affordable price of around £25m, although the report that it’s not straightforward with Liverpool also showing strong interest as they look for a long-term successor that can learn from Mohamed Salah at Anfield.