Real Madrid are all set to offload two of their players to make room for Rayan Cherki at the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Defensa Central, Real Madrid are willing to sell two of their players to make room for 19-year-old Rayan Cherki ahead of next season. Florentino Perez is a big admirer of the attacking midfielder. And, he is all set to do whatever is necessary to secure his signing from Lyon.
Los Blancos are ready to let go of Eden Hazard and Brahim Diaz to fund the transfer of Cherki. Hazard’s big-money move to Real Madrid never really worked out. Injuries have not allowed him to showcase his true potential to the fans at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Brahim Diaz, who is currently on loan at AC Milan, is another player the Real Madrid president is willing to sacrifice to secure the services of the 19-year-old attacker. AC Milan have a €22 million purchase option to sign Diaz. And Perez is willing to let him stay in Italy despite having a €27 million buy-back option.
The departures of Hazard and Diaz will raise around €45 million, which will allow Los Blancos to make an initial bid for Cherki. However, Lyon will be looking for something closer to €60 million. According to reports, Los Blancos have secured a verbal agreement with Lyon. That is an agreement that will allow them to match any bid for the French wonderkid.
The France Under-21 star joined the Lyon academy back in 2010, when he has just seven. He went up the ranks at the club before making his first team debut in October 2019. In the past few seasons, Cherki has established himself as a first-team regular.
In the ongoing season, he has made 23 appearances for the French club and has been involved in eight goals. It has been another impressive season for the teenager. He has attracted a lot of attention of late. And, Real Madrid are not willing to lose out on one of their main targets.
His arrival at the Bernabeu will give Carlo Ancelotti multiple options. While Cherki prefers to play as an attacking midfielder, he can also play out wide. And, he will challenge Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes for a place in the starting XI. Perez’s interest in the player makes perfect sense for multiple reasons. And, it will be interesting to see if they can pull it off in the summer.
