Rayan Cherki: How Manchester United missed out on City star | OneFootball

Had fortune favoured Manchester United, Rayan Cherki could have been plying his trade in the red half of Manchester. The Red Devils are constantly on the lookout for rising talents across the globe, a strategy that has seen them sign some of the best young players in the world.

The English giants have a rich tradition of developing gifted individuals into household names and are not afraid to trust youth. United have found great success with this approach first under Sir Matt Busby and, more recently, during Sir Alex Ferguson’s legendary reign.

INEOS have also invested in this strategy, and the Premier League giants have secured the services of some outstanding young footballers in recent times. From picking up Lille academy graduate Leny Yoro to securing Paraguayan starlet Diego Leon, from Sekou Kone to Ayden Heaven to Patrick Dorgu, United’s scouting network has delivered the goods in recent times as well.

However, there have been some players they have missed out on in recent years, including Moises Caicedo. It now appears that Cherki, who has been a revelation for Manchester City so far, can also be added to that list.

City’s new star

Cherki progressed rapidly through the ranks at Lyon before breaking into the first team in 2019. The following year, aged 16 years and 140 days, he became the youngest player to score a goal for the senior team in the club’s history.

The Frenchman’s extraordinary rise at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais caught the imagination of clubs across the continent. However, it was City who won the race for his signature last summer, securing the 22 year old’s services in a reported €42.5 million deal.

That move has already paid dividends, with Cherki emerging as one of Pep Guardiola’s most important men. This season, the Frenchman has scored 10 goals and set up 13 more in 44 games in all competitions for the Cityzens.

Rayan Cherki Stats: 2025/26 Season

Source: Transfermarkt.

In fact, only Bruno Fernandes has registered more assists (18) than Cherki in the Premier League this season. However, the Portuguese maestro could have been sharing the pitch regularly with the Frenchman had things gone United’s way in the past.

United wanted Cherki

According to talkSPORT, United wanted to sign Cherki during his time with Lyon’s academy, but the player turned them down. The report states: “As the playmaker continues to go from strength to strength, City’s neighbours, Manchester United, will always be thinking, ‘What if?’”

“Cherki could have first moved to England after having a trial at Chelsea as a 12-year-old in 2015, before he opted to stay at Lyon.”

“talkSPORT understands that when he was at U15-U16 level, Man United held a strong interest and even made a proposal to Cherki. However, City’s No.10 ultimately preferred to start his career at his boyhood club and made his senior debut in 2019.”

Final Thoughts

Missing out on Cherki is not the end of the world, although it is true that he could have been a fine addition to the squad. However, United also have a prodigious talent in JJ Gabriel coming up through the ranks, so fans will not be too disheartened by the club’s failure to sign the Frenchman.

Featured image Michael Steele via Getty Images

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