The transfer windows follow one another and risk being similar for Rayan Cherki. Last summer, the footballer born in 2003 was placed on the list of potentially transferable players, like practically all Olympique Lyonnais players. Monitored very closely by the DNCG, the Gones wanted to recover cash by selling certain items. Concerning Cherki, the residents of Groupama Stadium also wanted to part with him since Bleuet was at the end of their contract in June 2025. Quickly, several clubs came out of the woodwork to try to afford OL's great hope. One of the first was Paris Saint-Germain.
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The capital club spoke with Lyon, but also with the 21-year-old player's entourage. An agreement was even reached between the French champions and the Rhone residents last June. An amount of €15 million had been mentioned. But the native of Lyon had made the Ile-de-France residents wait, he who had been approached by Borussia Dortmund. An attitude which was not to the taste of PSG, in particular of President Nasser Al-Khelaïfi. The latter was also not very keen on the idea of collaborating with Fayza Lamari, whose company managed Cherki's interests at the time.
The revival of Cherki
After Paris, the BVB then threw in the towel on this matter, just like RB Leipzig who came to the information. After the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, other clubs have positioned themselves, such as Lazio Rome or Fulham. But they were not favored by the Cherki clan. Sidelined for a good while by Pierre Sage, the young player was finally reinstated by Les Gones, after the extension of his contract until 2026, with an optional year if he is still at the club at the end of the next transfer window summer.
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Good news for OL, who could have lost him for free in 2025, and for the player, determined to succeed at home. And this choice paid off. Rayan Cherki makes his best start to the season in the Gones jersey. Decisive (2 goals and 3 assists in 11 appearances in all competitions, 614 minutes played), he has matured in his personality and brings much more to the team. If he still sometimes makes a few superfluous gestures, he is turning a corner, he who is an indisputable starter in the eyes of his coach. His understanding with Alexandre Lacazette and Malick Fofana is also very valuable for Les Gones.
A departure in the pipeline?
From a sporting point of view, this is a good thing for Lyon. But this is also the case economically. Indeed, The Team explains this Friday that the price of the player, who changed agent a few weeks ago, is currently estimated at €25 million. The sports daily adds that Liverpool would have inquired about him and that PSG could return to the charge since Luis Campos really appreciates Cherki. For his part, the player is focused on OL, although he dreams of Real Madrid like his friend Kylian Mbappé and has a crush on the Bundesliga. Regarding OL, The Team specifies that the club is not a priori selling this winter.
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The idea is to continue with him to try to finish in a good position in the L1 standings and try to qualify for the next edition of the Champions League. But it will surely depend on what the DNCG decides to do or not with Lyon, which published a very worrying financial press release recently. John Textor will have to provide guarantees to the financial policeman of French football. The sports daily recently mentioned a sum of between €100 million and €200 million. Selling certain players may therefore be necessary. Rayan Cherki, who is still being picked up by Algeria in the selection, is one of the potentially transferable elements…like last summer.
Pub. the 15/11/2024 12:05
– UPDATE 15/11/2024 12:23
