Hugo Viana receives huge praise from Arsenal legend for shrewd Manchester City summer capture | OneFootball

Arsenal legend Robert Pires has hailed Manchester City’s shrewd business in signing Rayan Cherki from Lyon for a cut-throat £34 million price this summer.

Cherki, 22, was one of four signings Manchester City confirmed in the week before jetting off to the United States for the FIFA Club World Cup in June, with officials at the Etihad Stadium fending off competition from a host of elite European sides to secure the arrival of the France international.

Manchester City were tasked with the seemingly impossible task of replacing departed club legend Kevin De Bruyne in the summer after deciding against handing the 34-year-old a new deal and allowing him to complete a free transfer to Napoli.

Hugo Viana was appointed Manchester City’s sporting director in the summer and after a dormant 2024 summer transfer window, the Portuguese executive loosened the purse strings and sanctioned the arrivals of Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders to mitigate the significant loss of De Bruyne.

Cherki has garnered a reputation of one of Europe’s most exciting young attacking midfielders and his prospects only gained status when the former Lyon man produced a world-class 22 minute cameo off the bench on his senior France debut in a 5-4 defeat to Spain in the UEFA Nations League in June.

Soon after putting pen to paper at the Etihad Stadium in June, the midfielder gave Manchester City fans a peak through the curtain into what they can expect from their latest creative weapon in the seasons to come at the FIFA Club World Cup, with a series of goals in the group-stage and a well-weighted assist at the back post to Phil Foden against Al-Hilal.

A stunning goal from distance on his Premier League debut in a 4-0 win away at Wolves earned Cherki his first Premier League start against Tottenham in the week that followed, though the Frenchman’s influence was limited as City fell to their first defeat of the 2025-26 season.

Manchester City fans have not witnessed their £34 million summer signing in action since as Cherki suffered a thigh injury in the days leading to Manchester City’s 2-1 defeat to Brighton in their final game before the September international break.

In an interview with Foot Mercato, Arsenal and France legend Robert Pires has hailed Manchester City’s transfer business and doubled down on their shrewd capture of Cherki for a cut-price figure of £34 million from Lyon this summer.

“The good thing is that French players are always attractive to English clubs. So, that’s good news. I think I have a slight preference for Rayan Cherki, because I like the player, because technically, he’s very, very strong,” Pires said, as quoted by Sport Witness.

“What surprised me is the price he (Cherki) was sold for by Lyon or paid by City. But I think he has the game to adapt to Man City, and also to the Premier League. Because technically, I really like what he does and what he offers on the pitch, even if the Premier League is difficult.”

A certain Erling Haaland confirmed on his Snapchat account on Saturday that Cherki has traveled with the Manchester City squad to London for their Premier League meeting with Brentford at the GTech Community Stadium – which could see the France international make his long-awaited return to action.