‘No one will decide for me’ – Rayan Cherki bullish on future following last summer’s criticism  | OneFootball

In a wide-ranging interview with L’Équipe, Rayan Cherki (21) has opened up on his troubles with Olympique Lyonnais at the start of the season. Last summer, the Lyon academy product was set to enter the final year of his contract and the club were keen to sell, so that they would not lose him on a free transfer.

Paris Saint-Germain had agreed a deal with their Ligue 1 compatriots but reportedly could not convince Cherki, while Borussia Dortmund convinced the player but not the club. Lyon placed Cherki in the “loft” as they tried to force through a transfer that summer.

However, as transfer deadline day came and went with a bid from Fulham accepted by Lyon but rejected by the player, Cherki remained at his formative club. It would take him signing a contract extension before Lyon took him out of the “loft” and reinserted him back into the matchday squad.

Looking back on that time, Cherki sees the funny side of it. “Everyone forgets that,” he laughs, “It still makes me smile. It shows that football can be thankless, in the sense that I gave everything to the club. I signed my first professional contract there despite other options, I extended my contract several times, and I always gave my word not to leave on a free transfer. And despite that, in return, some tried to hurt me.”

“I never gave up,” he continues. “I knew where I wanted to go. I was heavily criticised by some internally, my entourage was criticised… but I’m the one who makes decisions.” A point that he highlights when thinking about the upcoming transfer window, where he has already been linked with a move to Manchester City. Cherki says, “No one will decide for me how, why, or where [I’ll go].”

GFFN | Nick Hartland