“Rayan Cherki is better than Lamine Yamal” – Villarreal forward’s ultimate compliment to Manchester City star | OneFootball

Rayan Cherki’s former Villarreal teammate Georges Mikautadze has asserted that Manchester City star is better than Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal. 

Mikautadze played alongside Cherki at Lyon last season and made 34 times appearances alongside the 22-year-old midfielder, combining on nine occasions to score.

The France-born Georgian left Lyon for £26 million last summer to help Lyon comply with strict financial regulations, while Cherki left for £34 million to join forces with Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium.

Cherki has been a standout player for Manchester City in his debut campaign in the Premier League, continuing to play an instrumental role in the Blues’ pursuit of a domestic treble, having starred in the Blues’ 2-0 Carabao Cup final win over Arsenal at Wembley in March.

Mikautadze: Cherki can do everything and exceeds Yamal

The 22-year-old has played a direct hand in 23 goals for Manchester City in 46 appearances in all competitions this term as he looks in the form of his life, with his former teammate Mikautadze rating him above Barcelona and Spain superstar Lamine Yamal.

“When you are a footballer, you love to see this kind of player play,” Mikautadze said in an interview with Canal Plus. “Cherki is better than Yamal. Cherki is Cherki.

“He plays with both feet and Yamal doesn’t have that too much, even if he uses his right foot. Cherki is ambidextrous, he has the vision, he scores, he can create goals, he can take set pieces – he can do everything.”

What’s in store for Cherki in the coming months?

Cherki will undoubtedly be looking to prove the same in the final weeks of the Premier League season after helping City close the gap to league leaders Arsenal in the title race.

The France international will also want to keep impressing National Team manager Didier Deschamps as the FIFA World Cup edges closer. France will play Senegal, Iraq and Norway in their first three games in Group I across the Atlantic.

The playmaker was part of a successful 2025 summer spending spree by Manchester City sporting director Hugo Viana, who also recruited Tijjani Reijnders, Marcus Bettinelli, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Gianluigi Donnarumma, James Trafford and Sverre Nypan in the same window.

Man City’s transfer ambitions this summer

This summer, however, Guardiola will look to bolster other areas of the squad, given Cherki’s impact and influence in a position long overseen by Kevin De Bruyne before the Belgium left Manchester City for Napoli on a free transfer last summer.

City are keen on several targets but will prioritise the signature of Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, though his valuation has risen in recent weeks to between £100-£125 million. 

The Etihad side are also monitoring Sporting CP’s Morten Hjulmand and Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez, with concrete negotiations yet to transpire for either. One thing is for certain and it is that Manchester City will not need a new attacking midfielder anytime soon.