Rayan Cherki will leave Lyon this summer, but will it be for Liverpool?
The 21-year-old bade a tearful farewell at the Groupama Stadium in the weekend victory over Angers to close out the Ligue 1 season, a few days after his agents reportedly approached the Merseyside club about a potential deal for the player (CaughtOffside).
On Sunday evening, Fabrizio Romano claimed that Premier League suitors are likely to be in the mix for the attacker now that his exit from Les Gones has been confirmed, although no particular English club was explicitly mentioned.
What has Romano said about Cherki?
Speaking about Cherki on his eponymous YouTube channel, the Italian transfer guru said: “This summer I expect English clubs to return because the interest is strong. Let’s see what Borussia Dortmund decide to do as well.
“In January, Dortmund were convinced to trigger the release clause of Cherki, but the problem was that the clause was not considered valid by Lyon. In France, release clauses are not allowed, so there was some legal stuff there that complicated things in terms of price tag.”
Romano then had some words of advice for Liverpool and other clubs who may be trying to sign the 21-year-old, saying: “Probably the best solution to get Cherki is to try and be collaborative with Lyon, discuss with the president and find the solution.
“I expect clubs to return for Rayan Cherki. I expect to see the player leaving the club.”
Will Richard Hughes be the one to persuade Lyon to sell Cherki?
Although the attacker has said his goodbyes at Lyon, he still has one year remaining on his current contract, so prospective suitors such as Liverpool would still need to liaise with the Ligue 1 outfit as well as the player if they wish to sign him this summer.
The notoriously difficult negotiator Jean-Michael Aulas is no longer involved in the OL hierarchy, but Richard Hughes would still need to push the right buttons with their current president John Textor if the Reds are to have a realistic chance of luring Cherki to Anfield.
The LFC sporting director has already overseen contract renewals for Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk, along with the all-but-confirmed signing of Jeremie Frimpong before the transfer window even opens, all of which illustrate his ability to close crucial deals (doing so very promptly in the latter instance).
Dortmund have already shown with their failed January pursuit how not to persuade Lyon to sell their prized assets, so Liverpool must be careful not to replicate the mistakes of the Bundesliga outfit.
Hughes is increasingly earning the firm trust of Reds supporters to carry out the business which needs to be done at Anfield – can he be the one to secure Cherki’s signature this summer?
