Mauricio Pochettino has been denied the opportunity to take a closer look at Rayan Cherki this summer after Ukraine knocked France out of the Under-21 European Championship quarter-finals. The 19-year-old playmaker has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge recently, with the Blues in the market for a new creative midfielder following the departure of Mason Mount.
Cherki, who sees his contract at the Groupama Stadium expire in 2025, featured 34 times for Olympique Lyonnais in Ligue 1 last season, directly contributing towards 10 goals. Despite his tender age, the Frenchman has quickly become a mainstay in Laurent Blanc's starting lineup.
His incredible skillset and sparkling form in the academy saw him fast-tracked into the first-team, making his senior debut in the Champions League at the age of just 16. Cherki hasn't looked back since and now he's said to be on the Blues' radar.
According to Simon Phillips, Chelsea are exploring a potential move for the forward, who could unlock Lyon a significant windfall. The French outfit have found themselves short on cash recently due to their failure to clinch European qualification, but the Blues could bail them out with a move for Cherki, who's valued at around £25million.
While the teenage sensation passes the eye test with his flashy step-overs and exceptional ball-carrying, Chelsea would probably want to collect more data before diving head first into a deal. The semi-final and final would have been the perfect opportunity for the west Londoners to see whether Cherki can hold his nerve when the pressure is one.
But, of course, Pochettino has been denied the chance to take a further look at the technician. So, Chelsea may be left no choice but to heed the verdict of Kylian Mabppe instead.
After Cherki notched two goals and two assists in one game for Lyon at the age of just 16, the Paris Saint-Germain star sung his praises on social media. As quoted by But Football Club, Mbappe tweeted: "Don’t talk to him too much about age, huh."
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While Mbappe may be a fan, PSG don't seem to hold Cherki in as high a regard. In January, Jean-Michel Aulas publicly slammed the Parisians for making an 'insulting' offer for the youngster.
In an interview with French outlet RMC Sport, the Lyon president said: "I had a long time with Nasser [al-Khelaifi], who called me on Saturday evening, to find out whether or not we were in negotiations for Rayan Cherki.
"I told him no, and Nasser told me, 'okay, it's over', and he added that PSG would therefore not make a new offer. I thank him for this direct and sincere contact. We did not enter into negotiations, but the level of the offer was insulting."
