Since playing for Manchester City, Rayan Cherki has conquered everyone. The former Olympique Lyonnais resident had to deal with injuries at the start of the season, but today, everyone agrees to praise him. Starting with his coach Pep Guardiola, raves about him every time he is asked about him at a press conference. His spectacular profile and above-average technical quality often allow him to unlock situations. And with a scorer like Erling Haaland, it’s bound to be a treat to feed. For the 22-year-old, we must now continue this momentum and above all continue with the French team.
International since last summer, Rayan Cherki shone for his first with the Blues. In a team which has lost a little offensive creativity, the former OL player is necessarily a very important profile, who clearly has a role to play. In any case, this is what Didier Deschamps confirmed this Wednesday at a press conference, explaining that Cherki could be much more than a supersub. “Observers may have different analyses. He has this technical ability to make differences, whether through the pass or the goal. He has freedom on the pitch. Afterwards, it all depends in which zone it operates. In modern football, you can’t afford to lose a player when you don’t have the ball, there are efforts to be made. That he has the ability to come in and make a difference is good. We didn’t always have that. But he’s only just starting out at City: he was injured for a month, he’s made some appearances, he’s changing environment and partners. He is capable of being decisive from the start for me, but at the end of the match, with the opponent’s fatigue, when you are technical, you have an advantage. It’s not easier, because not everyone can be decisive when they come home, but it can help. Rayan has the ability to start matches. »
Rayan Cherki is expected
The analysis of the Blues coach is also shared by captain Kylian Mbappé, who had strong words to qualify his teammate. “He’s a special talent. For me, he has a gift that he is exploiting. He is setting out to exploit it to the fullest, he has this innate and spectacular talent. He has integrated very well into the group at Manchester City. We see that he has already created a special connection with certain players. With the French team, he started well when he arrived in June. He has an opportunity to come back, I hope he is as good as he is at Manchester City. There is no time for automatisms, you have to give the best version of yourself for the country, Rayan knows that. I don’t know if he will play. If he plays, he knows what he has to do. In Manchester, things are going well for him. You have to give him that credit. You always have to confirm. If he plays tomorrow, we will have to confirm once again that we deserve to wear that jersey. »
The Citizen will therefore appreciate the words towards him during this press conference. Returning to form little by little with City, Rayan Cherki clearly has a role to play in this French team which is still looking for the right formula. Capable of several brilliant moves coming off the bench, the 22-year-old striker could take advantage of the match against Ukraine to show that he can also perform as a starter. Because Didier Deschamps, if he did not give any indication, wanted to clarify that Cherki clearly had the shoulders to start in such an important match for qualification for the next 2026 World Cup. Answer this Thursday…
