Arsenal scouts were in attendance at Lyon in midweek to watch French playmaker Rayan Cherki in action against Manchester United.
According to a report by Graeme Bailey on TBR Football, Arsenal had scouts present when Lyon played Manchester United, with Rayan Cherki the player in focus. The French playmaker is expected to leave the Ligue 1 club in the summer when he enters the final year of his deal, as the Gunners are in the mix alongside Manchester City and Liverpool among other teams.
Rayan Cherki is a name on the list of many top Premier League teams ahead of the summer. The Lyon star was expected to leave the Ligue 1 club last summer as well as in January. But Les Gones somehow managed through their financial situation to keep hold of the rising talent.
Cherki has had a tremendous season with 28 goal contributions across all competitions, and he is one of the big reasons why Lyon are pushing hard to finish in the top four. The player’s current deal expires in 2026, and reports have stated he may have an understanding with the club to leave in the summer.
A host of clubs are interested, including Liverpool and Bayern Munich. The latter might view Rayan Cherki as an alternative to top target Florian Wirtz, while Arne Slot could see the player as a top addition to his attacking setup as Liverpool plans changes to their forward line ahead of the summer. The Reds have already watched him in action earlier, as they are seriously interested in the Frenchman.
Manchester City are also linked, with Pep Guardiola probably considering him as an alternative to some of his other targets to replace Kevin De Bruyne. Cherki’s style of play as well as the ability to play across multiple positions in the attacking third makes him a solid enough option for top clubs including those mentioned above.
Arsenal watched Rayan Cherki in action
Arsenal are one of those interested in Cherki and had scouts watch the Ligue 1 playmaker in action against Manchester United on Thursday in the Europa League. The observers might have returned with a glowing report considering how well the 21-year-old performed as well as scoring a late equaliser for his side ahead of the return leg.
Mikel Arteta has been looking for a versatile attacker to add to his frontline, and Rayan Cherki might tick a lot of boxes in that regard. His ability to to play multiple positions with ease as well as being two-footed. There are other targets on Arsenal’s list, but the Frenchman is likely to take an important spot there, as the summer transfer window will give a better picture if the Gunners are indeed interested in pushing for a move.
