Tottenham have suffered a blow in their pursuit of Lyon playmaker Rayan Cherki
Tottenham Hotspur have been one of the busiest Premier League clubs in the transfer window, but Ange Postecoglou’s side could do with some more business to make it a near-perfect summer off the field.
Monday night’s disappointing 1-1 draw with newly promoted Leicester City away in their season opener demonstrated that the north London side are still far from the finished article. They must make further signings to lift the ceiling of the squad and qualify for the Champions League, having narrowly missed out on a place in Europe’s elite competition last season.
Having said that, however, it looks like Spurs are about to lose one of their summer’s top targets to our London neighbours. According to a report from The Athletic, Fulham have leapfrogged Tottenham in the race to sign Lyon star Rayan Cherki. The young Frenchman has been compared to Cheslea legend Eden Hazard for his gameplay.
“Cherki is an exceptional dribbler, one of the first things one notices when watching him is that he appears to be ambipedal, as he can seemingly utilise both feet equally well. His strengths are as follows: key passes, dribbling and his ability to create something out of nothing. He could very well become a Premier League star like Eden Hazard, but I think it’s still too early for him to leave.”
Rayan Cherki’s contract at Lyon is set to expire in the summer of 2025 (Transfermarkt), so the Ligue 1 outfit are willing to part ways with him now and get a fee rather than lose him on a free transfer. The Frenchman was considered one of the most promising youngsters in the continent when he first broke onto the scene at Lyon back in 2019.
However, he hasn’t managed to fully live up to the hype, yet he has made 141 appearances across all competitions for his boyhood club, notching 17 goals and 25 assists in the process. The aforementioned report claims that Lyon have accepted Fulham’s offer of £12m plus add-ons for Cherki, who is keen to challenge himself in the Premier League. The player is yet to commit to the deal and is considering his options, though.
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Fulham intensifying their interest and tabling a bid for Cherki should come as a big blow for Tottenham, who have been admirers of the French talent. While Spurs have added young midfield talents such as Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray, they have let go of the likes of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Tanguy Ndombele and Oliver Skipp. In addition, they are planning to offload Giovani Lo Celso, who is surplus to requirements under Ange Postecoglou.
Thus, by moving on Lo Celso from our books, there would be room for our gaffer to seek and bring in a player who can add a bit more bite and creativity to his engine room, whilst challenging James Maddison for a spot in the starting XI. This is when Spurs’ interest in Cherki makes sense.
Cherki is only 21 but has become a household name in Europe because of his dazzling displays in Lyon colours. The France under-21 international, who recently won the Paris Olympics, can play as a number 10 or as a winger on either flank, and such versatility would be a boon for any manager.
The technically gifted and tactically smart Lyon-born talent would be a strong option to enhance Postecoglou’s first XI as well as add depth to the squad. While Fulham’s bid has been accepted by Lyon, the player is yet to decide on his future.
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This means the situation remains open for now, and if the Lilywhites have been serious about their pursuit of Cherki this summer, we must hijack Fulham’s move for the classy playmaker.
