Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing 19-year-old French prodigy Rayan Cherki from Ligue 1 club Lyon.
According to Rob Pratley, Chelsea have been keeping tabs on a number of French players, particularly those from Lyon. And Rayan Cherki has emerged on the radar of the west London club. The 19-year-old attacker has done well for Lyon since breaking into their first team. And he could prove to be a solid long-term addition to the Blues’ attack.
Chelsea need to improve their attacking options in the coming months to truly challenge for the top honors. And Cherki would be a smart acquisition for the west London club. He has the potential to develop into a quality player, and Chelsea could end up saving a lot of money in the long run.
Cherki can operate on either flank and as an attacking midfielder as well. He will add pace and creativity in the final third if he joins Chelsea. The 19-year-old would be a long-term investment for the Blues, and Graham Potter could be the ideal manager to help him develop and fulfill his potential.
The Blues have Raheem Sterling, Hakim Ziyech, and Christian Pulisic as their wide options right now. While Sterling has done reasonably well since joining, the likes of Ziyech and Pulisic have been largely underwhelming. And the duo might leave Chelsea soon.
Chelsea must look to bring in upgrades on both players. The arrival of Cherki will add some much-needed competition to the side, and Potter will have more options to work with. The 19-year-old prodigy has a contract with Lyon until the summer of 2024 and could be available for a reasonable price at the end of this season.
Lyon will probably want to hold on to their prized prospect. So a potential contract extension could be in the pipeline. It will be interesting to see how that situation evolves. If Cherki signs an renewal with Lyon, a summer move to Chelsea would be extremely unlikely.
Meanwhile, the Blues are thought to be looking to Cherki’s Lyon teammate Castello Lukeba as well. The young defender is highly rated in France and could be a solid addition to the Chelsea backline. In addition, another French prodigy, Malo Gusto, is on Chelsea’s radar.
