West Ham United can sign Rayan Cherki for €30 million with Real Madrid taking a back seat in the pursuit of the Olympique Lyon star.
According to a report from Real Madrid Exclusivo, Rayan Cherki could be heading to West Ham United in a deal worth €30 million. The French sensation has been on Real Madrid’s wishlist for a while now but the Spanish giants have decided against signing him at this stage.
With Los Blancos taking a back seat, West Ham United have the perfect opportunity to secure the services of the 21-year-old Olympique Lyon attacking midfielder.
Cherki has been a part of the French club since 2010. He got promoted to their first team at the start of 2020 and has gone from strength to strength since. He has been a consistent performer for them over the years and quite a few top clubs have been monitoring him.
While he did sign a new deal in the summer that runs until the summer of 2026, Cherki is expected to be on the move in 2025. Real Madrid are one of the clubs that have been linked with him over the years. He came onto their radar back when Zinedine Zidane was their manager.
Real Madrid’s interest in Cherki
The French tactician was a huge admirer of the 21-year-old and he had recommended the club to go after his signature. But, Florentino Perez wasn’t keen on adding him to their squad and post the departure of Zidane, they haven’t really made an effort to push for his services.
With the French youth international expected to be available for a transfer, Los Blancos do have a chance of acquiring his services but they already have a lot of options in the number ten role. Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler, Brahim Diaz and Luka Modric can all feature in that role. As a result, Perez is not interested in making a move for him.
West Ham can sign Cherki for €30 million
Real Madrid’s decision to withdraw from the race puts West Ham in pole position to sign the wonderkid who will be available for €30 million. The Hammers want to add more firepower to their ranks. They have been struggling of late and a player like Cherki could help pick them back up.
He can feature as a ten as well as on the flanks. More importantly, he can create as well as score making an ideal fit for them. Since he is only 21, the French youth international will only get better with time.