Even before the surprise retirement of Antoine Griezmann, Didier Deschamps, at the end of the disappointing Euro 2024 of the French team in Germany, had already injected new blood into the offensive sector of the Blues. Michael Olise was indeed promoted to the A’s last September and Christopher Nkunku also made his return despite his understudy status at Chelsea. But the French coach is under pressure: he must decide in the coming weeks whether or not to call up Rayan Cherki (21 years old) and Maghnes Akliouche (22 years old). It might be too late next summer…
Like Olise, the two attacking talents participated in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games football tournament under the orders of Thierry Henry, with a silver medal to boot. But they could both find themselves in the Algerian team during the next international window! Cherki and Akliouche both shone during the first part of the season. The OL playmaker, flamboyant with Les Gones (5 goals and 7 assists in Ligue 1 and the Europa League) after his aborted departure last summer, would clearly make a strong reinforcement for the “La Dèche” group “.
Last chance for Deschamps?
In the meantime, Rayan Cherki “think about representing Algeria more and more”as indicated by account
At ArobaseDzairwhich follows Algerian football news (and sometimes has some information). In any case, the one who is of Algerian origin through his mother (his father being of Italian origin) does not close the door to an international future with the Greens, who have almost as much chance of competing in the next World Cups as Kylian Mbappé’s French team. The Fennecs are continuing their qualifying campaign for the next World Cup with matches against Botswana and Mozambique in March.
“As of January 3, no change of nationality has been made and the procedure has not been started either”it is however specified. The Algerian federation may not have taken steps to allow Cherki to obtain his Algerian passport (easily accessible to French people of Algerian ancestry). And for good reason, the dribbler born in Lyon is probably waiting for a sign from Didier Deschamps in order to join the Blues, he who was a French international in U16, U19, Espoirs and Olympic. This could be the case in three months for the Nations League quarter-final against Croatia.