Rayan Cherki is exactly what Manchester City are needing this summer transfer window | OneFootball

Manchester City look set to pull off one of their most crucial signings as they close in on the acquisition of Rayan Cherki from Olympique Lyonnais in time for the FIFA Club World Cup.

It’s perhaps the worst-kept secret in football that Pep Guardiola desperately needs inspiration in attacking midfield and that is perhaps why the likes of Florian Wirtz, Morgan Gibbs-White, Tijjani Reijnders and more recently, Rayan Cherki, have been linked with a switch to the club.

Kevin De Bruyne is leaving the Etihad Stadium and is expected to be announced as a Napoli player in the coming days, with Pep Guardiola left with as big a dilemma as he has had during the entirety of his time as Manchester City manager.

Florian Wirtz was long understood as the leading preference to replace De Bruyne in the Manchester City boardroom but the 22-year-old is being strongly tipped by online sports sites to join Liverpool during the ongoing summer market.

Manchester City have cited financial reasons as to why they have pulled out of the race to sign Wirtz and Rayan Cherki presents an economic acquisition that is almost certain to pay dividends above and beyond what the club expect of the young attacking midfielder.

Capable of playing across the midfield and wide attacking roles, Cherki has lit up the French top-flight with his silky, dominating displays helping his side to a sixth-place Ligue 1 finish – with the 21-year-old contributing eight goals and 11 assists in 30 league outings this term.

City have seriously lacked creativity in midfield in the last nine months, with Ilkay Gundogan far from the club captain who led the Blues to a historic treble before leaving for Barcelona and Phil Foden admitting to mental and physical struggles at various points of the campaign.

Hugo Viana is in the building and has been appointed to take over from current director of football Txiki Begiristain in the coming months, with Pep Guardiola expected to be heavily backed to lead Manchester City’s challenge on all fronts next season.

Cherki, owing to his age and profile, represents exactly the type of player City have been crying out for amidst their evident struggles and club chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak admitted so himself recently that the club hold regrets over not being as aggressive in the previous summer transfer window as they should have been.

The financial windfall City gain from pulling out of the race for Wirtz – who is priced at €150 million by Bayer Leverkusen – will help the club invest elsewhere in the squad in what is a crossroads moment for a team that has dominated England football since the 2021.

The Frenchman possesses the versatility that Guardiola craves in midfielders and should the deal go through, Cherki can expected to be moved across the wings and midfield around quite a lot in his debut season as the City manager assessed where the young star would fit in best.

Cherki is highly likely to be accompanied by Reijnders through the door in the coming week and the midfield pair serve as a timely boost for Guardiola as he looks to instil back some confidence in his worn-down City squad after a challenging, injury-riddled year of the pitch.

The young midfielder has all the makings of a successful signing and City fans will especially be licking their lips at the prospects of Cherki combining with Erling Haaland, who was starved of the usual service from De Bruyne and Foden he has enjoyed in his opening two years at the Etihad Stadium.