Lyon are determined to resist Chelsea’s interest in signing Rayan Cherki despite speculation that their owner, John Textor, may have to sell players this summer to balance the books. Chelsea are understood to have already sounded out Textor over his willingness to part with the France Under-21 forward, who is a product of Lyon’s celebrated youth system.
Cherki has been earmarked as a replacement for Christian Pulisic, who is completing his move to Milan for €22m (£18.8m) having arrived in Italy on Wednesday for his medical. However, Lyon want to keep the 19-year-old who was part of the France squad at the Under-21 European Championships. This is despite the announcement this month that the club’s transfer activity and wage bill will be monitored by French football’s financial watchdog, the Direction Nationale du Contrôle de Gestion (DNCG).
