Rayan Cherki: How Manchester United missed out on City star
Rayan Cherki: How Manchester United missed out on City star Had fortune favoured Manchester United, Rayan Cherki could have been plying his trade in the red half of Manchester. The Red Devils are constantly on the lookout for rising talents across the globe, a strategy that has seen them sign some of the best young players in the world. The English giants have a rich tradition of developing gifted individuals into household names and are not afraid to trust youth.
United have found great success with this approach first under Sir Matt Busby and, more recently, during Sir Alex Ferguson’s legendary reign. INEOS have also invested in this strategy, and the Premier League giants have secured the services of some outstanding young footballers in recent times. From picking up Lille academy graduate Leny Yoro to securing Paraguayan starlet Diego Leon, from Sekou Kone to Ayden Heaven to Patrick Dorgu, United’s scouting network has delivered the goods in recent times as well.
However, there have been some players they have missed out on in recent years, including Moises Caicedo. It now appears that Cherki, who has been a revelation for Manchester City so far, can also be added to that list. City’s new star Cherki progressed rapidly through the ranks at Lyon before breaking into the first team in 2019.
The following year, aged 16 years and 140 days, he became the youngest player to score a goal for the senior team in the club’s history. The Frenchman’s extraordinary rise at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais caught the imagination of clubs across the continent. However, it was City who won the race for his signature last summer, securing the 22 year old’s services in a reported €42.
5 million deal. That move has already paid dividends, with Cherki emerging as one of Pep Guardiola’s most important men. This season, the Frenchman has scored 10 goals and set up 13 more in 44 games in all competitions for the Cityzens.