Rayan Cherki will sign five-year contract with Man City in the ‘coming hours’: Transfer fee and medical test revealed after ‘deal’ with Lyon
‘Deal in place’: Cherki to sign five-year contract with Man City in ‘coming hours’Manchester
City have reportedly reached an agreement with Lyon to sign highly valued striker Rayan Cherki.
Following the departure of club legend Kevin De Bruyne, City have been heavily linked with a summer signing of the 21-year-old, after they pulled out of a deal to sign former goalkeeper Florian Wirtz – who is now close to a move to Liverpool.
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Man City fans got a promising glimpse of Cherki’s talent when he made his debut for France in Thursday’s dramatic 5-4 defeat to Spain in the UEFA Nations League semi-finals.
Cherki, who scored a fantastic goal and provided an assist in a brilliant 27-minute substitution, gave strong hints after the game that he is close to a move to Man City.
After reportedly having an initial bid of around €22.5 million rejected, City came back with an improved offer and have now reached an agreement with Lyon to bring the youngster to the Etihad Stadium.
According to L’Équipe, an agreement between Manchester City and Lyon was reached on Monday morning, and Cherki is expected to sign a five-year contract in the “coming hours”.
Although L’Équipe does not disclose the total transfer fee, journalist Fabrizio Romano claims that Lyon will receive €35 million with €6 million in bonuses.
Romano adds that Cherki, who has already spoken to Pep Guardiola, is scheduled to travel to Manchester on Monday to undergo the medical test and sign his contract on Tuesday.
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City are rushing to complete the signing before the first transfer window of the summer closes on Tuesday at 19:00, ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup.
The confirmation that City will also sign left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri and midfielder Tijjani Reijnders is expected soon, as both players have completed their medical tests after leaving Wolverhampton Wanderers and AC Milan respectively.
Man City on the verge of signing “absolute superstar” Cherki
Cherki is ready to leave his childhood club Lyon, where he spent nine years in the academy before making 185 appearances for the first team since his debut in October 2019.
The versatile striker, who can play both as a number 10 and on the wings, had an outstanding 2024/25 season with Lyon, with 12 goals and 22 assists in 44 games.
He contributed 12 goals in as many Europa League games (four goals and eight assists – the most in the tournament) for a Lyon team that reached the quarter-finals, and his performances were rewarded with the Young Player of the Year award.
Cherki has been described as an “absolute superstar” by Man City pundit Steven McInerney (Esteemed Kompany), and he has the potential to develop into one of the “best” players in the world under Guardiola’s guidance.
