Pep Guardiola believes Rayan Cherki is ‘one of the best talents he has ever seen’ | OneFootball

In his pre-match press conference, Pep Guardiola was full of praise for Rayan Cherki (22) as Manchester City prepare to face Villarreal in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday evening. The French playmaker is a new arrival at the Etihad Stadium, after arriving from Olympique Lyonnais for a fee in the region of €45m during the summer transfer window.

The France international attacking midfielder enjoyed a successful start to life in the Premier League – scoring on his debut in the English top flight against Wolves. However, he has been limited to three appearances for his new club due to a thigh injury which has seen him miss 12 games across all competitions.

Cherki impresses Guardiola

Despite his limited number of appearances for his new club, this hasn’t stopped the Frenchman from him impressing his new head coach. Guardiola was full of superlatives when asked about the Lyon academy graduate ahead of the Mancunian outfit’s upcoming match, “Rayan Cherki is one of the biggest talents I have seen in my career. Technically, he is at the top. The question is how he adapts and reads the game. Every time he receives the ball, the situation improves. He no longer feels pressure.”

GFFN | Liam Wraith