The attitude stuff and lack of workrate puts a lot of people off, add to that the number of players who have looked like world beaters in Ligue 1 and been total bobbins when they leave. From Lyon specifically you have Houssem Aouar who was a disaster at Roma and before him who can forget the supposedly elite Nabil Fekir. I am guessing clubs from other leagues are not entirely trusting of what they see.
Rayan Cherki
- Thread starter Berbaclass
- Start date
You do definitely have to always take that in to consideration. Though I would think his Europa League performances would've done a fair bit to persuade people that his talents could threaten more than just le agriculteurs. I think he ended up with 4 goals and 8 assists in his 12 games and that includes 1 goal and 2 assists in a game against Frankfurt as well as the goals against us, so some output there against two of the competition's better sides.
Meh Aouar was always a showpony and Fekir was never viewed as an elite prospect by anyone with a brain. Cherki is a completely different class to both. He’s widely regarded as the best youth product to come out of the Lyon academy since Benzema and Ben Arfa.
Obvious lines to be drawn there and the question is which one of those he emulates in application. But this season he is certainly been looking much more like the former than the latter.
Who's the second best youth product to come out of the Lyon academy since those two? I'll be honest, I lack context for how impressive such a status is really without knowing who he's bested to claim that one.
Ah don’t put me on the spot. Off the top of my head Martial, Lloris, Umtiti, Tolisso, Lacazette, Gusto… I’m sure there are a few I’m forgetting. It’s an academy known for producing a lot of talent long story short.
There's some talented names there, to be fair.
Could be a very good non expensive option, but for some reason I get the Depay vibes and he will not function properly in the PL.
Absolutely. Plus, he has been hyped and known for years but still remains in a farmers League. Got to be a reason no big club has snatched him yet.
This idea that he will be a cheap buy is a falsehood, from what I can gather.
He once had a gentleman’s agreement that he could leave for £25m (and already not adhered to). This agreement seems to be as watertight as any gentlemen’s agreement (Daniel Levy anyone…).
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Not in football. Not with so much money flying around.Are there no gentlemen left in this world?
There's also Barcola, Lukeba, Fekir, Caqueret, Gouiri, Loic Remy, Sydney Govou... so many
Yeah just the sort of deal they do on the quiet
Reckon he will end up at PSG. There’s literally no noise about him
Textor apparently told Dortmund to feck off (his words) and is clearly nuts enough to make things difficult for any or no reason.
I did think he'd go to PSG but then there's the handbags between the two chairmen.
Al-Khelaifi says: “I will never speak to you again and I don’t want to see you anymore. Learn to run a club and the media, this is the last time I’ll let you talk to me.”
Textor replied: “I am comfortable with your decision. You always say that you are saving everyone, which is nothing but megalomaniac behaviour. The lack of parity in our championship destroys the attractiveness of the league. Do you think that PSG’s advertising inserts, during an OL match, are appropriate?”
Al-Khelaifi then finished: “You don’t understand anything about football, and I’m wasting my time talking to you. You will lose wherever you go.”
To which Textor sent a picture of him lifting the Libertadores with Botafogo, another club he owns:
https://www.threads.com/@blancoslive/post/DDmiN2ngsAi/media?hl=en-gb
Botafogo's fans, just for some added colour, were recently bombarding Textor's phone after his private number was also leaked. They think he's a dick too.
Textor replied: “I am comfortable with your decision. You always say that you are saving everyone, which is nothing but megalomaniac behaviour. The lack of parity in our championship destroys the attractiveness of the league. Do you think that PSG’s advertising inserts, during an OL match, are appropriate?”
Al-Khelaifi then finished: “You don’t understand anything about football, and I’m wasting my time talking to you. You will lose wherever you go.”
To which Textor sent a picture of him lifting the Libertadores with Botafogo, another club he owns:
https://www.threads.com/@blancoslive/post/DDmiN2ngsAi/media?hl=en-gb
Botafogo's fans, just for some added colour, were recently bombarding Textor's phone after his private number was also leaked. They think he's a dick too.
Nothing about dealing with this guy seems simple for anyone. And he's just won the FA Cup, which can't be good for the ego.
Hell, why not Palace? They're in Europe and Lyon aren't, so there's no conflict. Textor has already managed to get Cherki to sign contracts he didn't want to before. Maybe he tries again?
Aouar was crap at Lyon way before he was crap at Roma so not a great example and Fekir failed his medical before a Liverpool transfer so that explains why he may not have achieved elite status in the game, although do think he had a few good years at Betis regardless. N'dombele was the big Lyon failure but again, not down to not being able to cut it at a better league, more that he wasn't living the life of a professional footballer and didn't have the discipline.
On the other hand, I'd say Bruno Guimaraes and Lucas Paqueta were from a playing persepective unqualified successes.
Have a feeling Newcastle will sign him.
Outrageous talent. Destined for the very top IMO.
Clue is in the name
Not sure there's any more to this than he played us in a big competition. If we're getting Cunha, already have Amad, Bruno and Mount...no space where he wants to play.
We have tried everything there this season. Bruno, Mount, Amad, Garnacho (who frankly has been atrocious in that role), and even Zirkzee at times. None of it has really worked, except for Amad, and even that came with the usual caveat: injuries. Bruno is now locked into the middle, Mount is available but rarely stays fit long enough to build rhythm, and the others simply have not offered enough.
Now with Matheus Cunha added, we have finally made a serious move to address that gap. He brings quality and intent, no doubt. A good start. But even with Cunha, we are still one injury or dip in form away from falling into the same old trap. We have seen this movie before.
That is why adding another number ten, especially someone like Cherki, makes perfect sense. He is two footed, unpredictable, capable of playing on either side of the ten, and comes at a low cost. He brings security, variety, and a touch of flair that we have lacked. The kind of profile that strengthens a squad from the inside out.
Truth is, bringing in two genuine number tens when the position has clearly been a weakness is not overdoing it, and with the kind of season we are trying to have, it might just be the difference between progress and another year of what could have been.
Newcastle bound I reckon.
I'd say it depends what position we intend to play Amad most of the time. I expect we'll see him play both positions, but presumably he'll play one more than the other. If we see him mostly as a #10, then yeah we probably have higher priorities (although even then I think Cherki is the type of player you make an exception for, in the way that Fergie did for Rooney). If we see Amad mostly at RWB then we should definitely be looking for another #10 in my eyes. Although I guess that also depends on Bruno in the same way, on whether we see him as a #10 or a CM.
At the end of the day, we have RWB, the right #10 and CM that need players, and in Amad and Bruno we have two of them. Whichever position they aren't going to be starting in needs a new player bought in.
I can’t believe he’s only 21. Thought he is in his mid 20s. Surely he’s worth a look and if he doesn’t work out, he’ll still have resale value? I always love an exciting player at Old Trafford who would put bums on seats
If we add Cherki, Cunha a new CF and a RWB with attacking threat, we’ll have some serious firepower. What an amazing summer that would be. We’d just need a top CM and we’d be well on our way.
I mean, with those additions, a midfield 2 made up of Bruno, Case, and Ugarte isnt even that bad!
I don't see this one happening, think it's just our name getting thrown in there like it usually does.
Very talented player but not my immediate profile of players we need - ie people with his technique but more athletic and physical. If we don't literal it strengthen our team, we will continue to be bullied week in week out.
There's less than 5 players with his level of technique in all of Europe right now.
I didn't mean exactly his level, I mean we need physical athletic players who are also technically skilled, rather than just signing big athletes without ability.
And who are these players if I may ask?
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It may not work out but surely
a) it's worth a try given the clear level of talent he has
b) even if it didn't work out and we sold him in 2 year's time, we'd surely at least get our money back on a deal that was around 25-30 million Euros?
a) it's worth a try given the clear level of talent he has
b) even if it didn't work out and we sold him in 2 year's time, we'd surely at least get our money back on a deal that was around 25-30 million Euros?
He looks like a player who is worth taking a chance on at the fee, depending on what other business the club can sort.
Teams just push up on us this year because they arnt afraid we can run in behind them. We add Cunha and a proper striker and they will change tactics and just sit back. Especially if we get Delap. I suspect we will do well against top teams that come to attack and then have the problem from Ole days of not being able to break down low blocks. Cherki will give us that different tool set in these situations. If we can get WBS who can cross and someone who can head the ball in the box it would further add weapons to our arsenal
I would take him, a player who can dribble and get past opponents with ease is what we miss mostly.
Cherki will not be €25m - That is not a release clause. It was a gentleman’s agreement that was only valid during January.
Even then the gentleman’s agreement was not adhered to when Dortmund came calling.
Cherki will likely cost considerably more.
Still under 40m I reckon. He will be much cheaper than the EPL-proven attackers
He’s one of the most promising young players in world football, I’d say closer to 60-75M € easy.
Then we shouldn't sign him. Can't ignore the other problem positions.