Pep Guardiola has already given Rayan Cherki tactical instructions ahead of Manchester City debut | OneFootball

Rayan Cherki has revealed the first tactical instructions handed to him by Pep Guardiola ahead of his Manchester City debut.

Last season’s FA Community Shield winners and FA Cup Finalists return to action on Wednesday evening at the FIFA Club World Cup, as they begin their group stage campaign in the United States.

Moroccan side Wydad AC are the opponents in the newly-expanded and rebranded competition that is welcoming Manchester City as a result of their UEFA Champions League triumph back in 2023.

And while the competition itself is a reason to be excited, Manchester City supporters from across the globe will be tuning in as they hope to catch a first glimpse of their new signings completed by Hugo Viana prior to the tournament beginning.

Among the names most exciting fans is France international Rayan Cherki, who has come into the club as a new attacking midfielder in light of Kevin De Bruyne’s exit from the Etihad Stadium earlier this month, joining Napoli on a free transfer.

But speaking to reporters including MailSport’s Jack Gaughan from Manchester City’s training base in Florida’s Boca Raton, Cherki has rejected the idea that he is the direct replacement for arguably the club’s greatest-ever player.

“I’m not Kevin de Bruyne – he’s the legend [of the club]. I’m here to help the team. We have the best players in the world. I work and I wait my turn,” Cherki insisted.

“I spoke with Pep [Guardiola] about my position on the pitch and we spoke about what I enjoy when I’m on the pitch. It’s very good for me. He told me he loves a No10, but now I play all the positions in the pitch – so it’s not complicated because I just want to play, he added.

Rayan Cherki also revealed, “Pep told me, ‘When you have the ball, you are free’, which is very good for me because it’s my first quality to help the team.”

Reflecting on his last full season which ultimately resulted in a mammoth move to the Premier League and Manchester City, the 21-year-old playmaker admitted, “I think I had the best season of my career, managed to make people talk only about good things: my passes, dribbling.

“I don’t hear many people talking about the unfounded criticism I faced. think I took a step forward in all aspects: my efficiency, defensive work, efforts without the ball. Everyone knows my offensive style, dribbling, passing.

“That’s not what I worked on most, I instead worked on knowing what I wanted to become, which makes the difference.”