Chelsea could have their man for next to nothing, with one club needing to sell stars
(Image credit: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Chelsea could bring one of their major targets to Stamford Bridge this winter for a ridiculously low fee.
Over the past 18 months, the Blues have been used to paying top dollar for players, smashing the British transfer record for the likes of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo.
Rayan Cherki, however, could be allowed to leave Lyon in the January transfer window for a minuscule €10 million.
Chelsea have spent a lot of money in the past two seasons (Image credit: Getty Images)
It is reported that the Ligue 1 side are willing to let go of their 20-year-old attacker in the upcoming January transfer window, with L’Equipe stating the club is seeking a modest fee to part ways with the youngster who came through their academy.
Cherki has provided great performances with the France U21 team but has struggled to replicate that success at the club level for Lyon. A number of Lyon head coaches have failed to get Cherki up to standard, with former boss Fabio Grosso even saying that he was “not special” after a poor display against Marseille.
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The Italian said to the press back in October: “Is he a special player? He’s a player; he’s not a special player. He’s a player like any other, albeit with some additional qualities. But it’s not just technical qualities that matter; there are mental and athletic qualities as well. He possesses enormous technical abilities, but he needs to work on the others.”
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It’s thought that Lyon are aiming to bolster their budget for a January rebuild amid relegation concerns. The club currently sit bottom of the league, four points adrift from safety. The academy product was reportedly available for transfer during the summer, but no suitable offers materialised, even though Chelsea were extensively linked.
Rayan Cherki is available for a small fee (Image credit: Getty Images)
Cherki has just 18 months left on his contract come January, so Lyon have prepared an asking price of between €10-15 million. So far, there are no clubs at the table, though that could be set to change, with West Ham, Chelsea, and Paris Saint-Germain all allegedly keen on the playmaker previously.
Cherki is considered one of the brightest sparks to come out of France in recent years, but there have been constant question marks about his character and aptitude.
Jacque Talbot is a freelance football journalist who predominantly specialises in transfer stories and exclusives. He began his career in 2016 covering the world-renowned Sandbach United, of North West Counties fame, before earning a spot on the sports desks of national papers, where he bounced between several outlets such as Sportbible, the Express, Mirror, and Daily Star. An NCTJ graduate of the News Associates who swapped investigative journalism in the Costa del Sol for football reporting in Northern England, he first wrote for FourFourTwo in December 2023.
