Chelsea are all set to put forward an initial bid for the signatures of 19-year-old Lyon attacking midfielder Rayan Cherki.
According to a report by ESPN, Chelsea are keen on having Rayan Cherki in their ranks and are formulating a plan to secure his services. The Blues plan to put forward an initial bid for the 19-year-old’s services in the near future. Meanwhile, Lyon will demand €40 million to part ways with the young wonderkid.
Cherki has been a part of the Lyon setup since 2010. He has gone up the ranks at the club and is currently an important part of their first team setup. He had an exceptional 2022/23 season as the teenager contributed towards ten goals in his 21 Ligue 1 starts.
The French youth international’s contract runs until the summer of 2025 after a one-year extension was triggered last April. While there are a couple of years left in his contract, the 19-year-old is expected to be on the move in the ongoing summer.
He is valued at around €40 million. And given his exceptional abilities, a European giant could surely pay a fee that big. Cherki is considered to be one of the best in his generation. He is an exceptional talent who can feature anywhere in attack as well as the midfield and there is a lot of interest in his services.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are expected to make an official move soon. They have been keen on the 19-year-old for a while now, and their scouts were monitoring him during the recently-concluded UEFA EURO Under-21. While France failed to live up to the expectations, Cherki surely did his bit to impress the Blues scouts.
The West London club have made up their mind and are all set to push for the €40 million-rated teenager in the coming days. The two clubs have been in talks of late and the discussions have been progressing well.
The Blues are looking for a Christian Pulisic replacement and believe Cherki would be a perfect fit. With the American international all set to join AC Milan, Chelsea are keen on having the 19-year-old as his replacement.
The French youth international is a perfect fit for them because of their youth-centric transfer policy. Todd Boehly is looking to build a team for the future and Cherki could be a deadly weapon to have in his arsenal.
