French side Lyon have named their price for Rayan Cherki as Liverpool set their sights on a replacement for Mohamed Salah.
With Lyon in financial difficulties, they have already been ‘provisionally relegated’ and must sell off some big names to stay afloat.
Liverpool could be losing Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold in the summer, so are keen to line up replacements quickly.
But the Reds could face competition from PSG and Bayer Leverkusen for French winger Cherki.
Liverpool Lining Up Rayan Cherki As Salah’s Replacement
An all-time Anfield great, Mo Salah has been phenomenal for the Merseyside club. To date, he has 221 goals and 99 assists in 366 games since he joined in 2017.
The Egyptian King won both the Premier League and Champions League under Jurgen Klopp, and has made a blistering start to life under new Reds boss Arne Slot.
Salah already has ten goals in 17 games this season, but his contract expires in July. With no new deal in place, the 32-year-old may look for one last big pay-day overseas, and has been linked to several clubs.
It has now been reported that Liverpool are preparing for Salah’s departure, with Lyon’s Rayan Cherki touted as a possible replacement.
The French side are believed to want a fee in the region of £25-29million. This is more than double the price they offered to Fulham over the summer.
Such is the severity of Lyon’s money problems that they are likely to sanction a fire-sale of the club’s most valuable assets.
Reds Face Stiff Competition for Rayan Cherki
When news broke of Liverpool’s interest in Rayan Cherki, it quickly became apparent they weren’t the only club pursuing the winger.
Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly keen on bringing the young Frenchman to the capital. Meanwhile, Ex-Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso’s Bundesliga-winning side, Bayer Leverkusen, are also believed to be in for Cherki.
Recently called up to the French under-21 side, Cherki is one of the hottest young talents in French football, and has looked top-quality for the junior team.
Rayan Cherki for France U-21:
☑️21 games
⚽️12 goals
🅰️7 assists
📊directly involved in a goal every 57 minutesPure quality. 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/PR6C5winUR
— Football Talent Scout – Jacek Kulig (@FTalentScout) November 16, 2024
But the winger has made it clear his focus, for now at least, is on Lyon.
He said: “I don’t think about what’s next at all.
“My future will wait, until the end of the season. Lyon comes first. When the time comes to ask the question, we will ask it, but it is not yet the time.”
However, the club’s financial situation means they may be forced into parting with one of their top talents prematurely.
Lyon’s Financial Woes Another Blow For French Football
Seven-time French champions Lyon are already on the brink financially. They have been ‘provisionally relegated’, meaning they will lose their top-flight status unless they improve their financial situation.
This summer, another French footballing giant were sent tumbling down the leagues. Bordeaux, themselves six-time French champions, were demoted to the fourth tier after going bankrupt.
Lyon’s debts have now reportedly reached £422million, with them banned from signing players.
They are majority-owned by Crystal Palace co-owner John Textor, through Eagle Football Holdings. Despite claiming a meeting with France’s National Directorate of Control and Management ‘went well’, it appears the financial watchdog did not agree.
The club’s business model relies on European qualification, but they have not been in the Champions League since 2019/20.
Several former Premier League stars currently play in Lyon, including Wilfried Zaha, Alexandre Lacazette, Nemanja Matic and Said Benrahma.
