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Manchester United appear to be in with a concrete chance of signing Olympique Lyonnais attacking midfielder Rayan Cherki.
Last month, The Peoples Person mentioned that Man United were set to submit a bid for the Lyon star in the summer.
Just 21 years of age, Cherki has reportedly attracted the interest of several leading European clubs, including AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, and Juventus.
But even with such a high volume of interest, it appears that United may be one of the favourites to sign the French playmaker if the latest update in the transfer saga is to be believed.
This morning, CaughtOffside indicated that Cherki is bent on a move to the Premier League, with United and Liverpool emerging as preferred destinations.
“The agents of Lyon star Rayan Cherki have approached top Premier League clubs such as Liverpool and Manchester United over potentially signing the Frenchman this summer,” the report confirmed.
“Sources close to the situation have informed CaughtOffside that Cherki is also on the radar of other top clubs such as Manchester City, Tottenham, Newcastle, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain.”
“The talented 21-year-old was also close to joining Borussia Dortmund back in January, though that deal fell through and doesn’t look like one that will be revived. This has given Premier League clubs an opportunity, with Liverpool and Man Utd seemingly among the most keen to pounce for his availability,” the article continued, suggesting that United could be ahead of the majority of their competition in the race to sign Cherki.
During United’s victory over Lyon in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League, manager Ruben Amorim was reportedly impressed with Cherki’s performance.
This comes as no surprise given that he not only netted the last-minute equaliser against United during the first leg but scored in extra-time during the second leg in addition.
Still, Cherki’s fine performances have not been limited to his encounters with United. At 21 years of age, he has become a key playmaker for Lyon in Ligue 1, providing 10 assists and averaging 2.4 key passes per game in 29 appearances.
Capable of playing as either a winger or a number 10, Cherki has also been a decent finisher – something that United have been lacking this season. He has scored eight league goals to date with a decent goal conversion of 19%. (Stats via Sofascore)
Given that his agent has allegedly reached out to United, it appears that the Lyon star has an active interest in moving to Old Trafford this summer. This perceived interest should be taken seriously by Amorim, especially due to the player’s versatility, which would no doubt benefit the United boss in his preferred 3-4-2-1 formation.
Featured image Michael Steele via Getty Images
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