Rayan Cherki came close to joining Paris Saint-Germain for a cut-price fee before Manchester City secured a much larger deal, according to former Lyon owner John Textor, who has detailed how a contract
clause almost kept the playmaker in Ligue 1.
Cherki eventually moved to Manchester City for an estimated 39m (34m) shortly before the Club World Cup in June, leaving Lyon after 185 senior games for the club where Cherki progressed through the academy system and became a key attacking figure.
Textor, who stepped back from daily operations at Lyon during pre-season, explained that negotiations once pointed towards a move inside France rather than the Premier League, with Paris Saint-Germain seemingly positioned to sign Cherki for significantly less than Manchester City later paid.
"Cherki was supposed to go to PSG for 15m," Textor said, via RMC Sport. "There was a very unusual clause in his contract, which wasn't a true release clause, but it still gave him some leeway to leave. " "In the end, if he had been entirely our player without all these complications, we would have got more for him. "
Textor stressed that Lyon were still satisfied with the final agreement reached with Manchester City, given the restrictions created by that clause and the initial valuation attached to Cherki when Paris Saint-Germain were in talks to complete the transfer from Ligue 1.
"But getting over 30m for a player whose release clause was set well below that amount.I think, financially, we did as well as we could. " The final figure from Manchester City therefore dwarfed the proposed Paris Saint-Germain bid and eased Lyon’s concerns about the contract structure.
Cherki needed time to earn a regular place in Pep Guardiola's preferred Manchester City side but has since become influential, especially in recent weeks, operating mainly as an attacking midfielder and providing creativity in advanced areas for the Premier League champions.
Since the start of November, no player from Europe's top five leagues has managed more assists than Cherki's six, and the Manchester City midfielder has also scored twice across eight matches during that period, underlining why the club were prepared to outbid Paris Saint-Germain.
| Player | Club | Statistic | Value | Minimum minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rayan Cherki | Manchester City | Chances created per 90 (all) | 3.89 | 200 |
| Rayan Cherki | Manchester City | Open-play chances created per 90 | 3.24 | 200 |
| Rayan Cherki | Manchester City | Assists since start of November | 6 | - |
| Rayan Cherki | Manchester City | Goals since start of November | 2 | - |
| Jeremy Doku | Manchester City | Open-play chances created per 90 | 3.44 | 200 |
Across the current Premier League season, Cherki is averaging 3.89 chances created per 90 minutes, the best record of any player who has featured for at least 200 minutes, while 3.24 of those chances per 90 come from open play, a figure beaten only by Manchester City team-mate Jeremy Doku on 3.44.
Rayan Cherki, Lyon academy value and upcoming fixtures
Textor believes Cherki's form at Manchester City can boost the reputation of the Lyon academy in future transfer markets, encouraging leading European clubs, including teams at the level of Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, to monitor emerging players from the French side more closely.
"When a player who came through the OL academy leaves and performs so well at a higher level, obviously it adds value to OL and to the academy for the future," Textor said. "So, I think we should simply be proud of what he's doing. " "It's a collection of human highlights that we're all watching. "
"It just so happens he plays for my favourite club when I was young, Manchester City, so I'm not completely upset about it. " While Lyon look ahead to a match against Monaco on 3 January, Lyon have also agreed a six-month loan for Real Madrid forward Endrick, and Manchester City travel to Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
