Liverpool have been linked with a move for Lyon youngster Rayan Cherki and now a key update has emerged regarding their pursuit of him.
The 21-year-old is a young player with a huge amount of potential, even being rated highly by Kylian Mbappe in the past, such is his ability.
Cherki has emerged as a rumoured transfer target for Liverpool, with the Reds looking for additional long-term quality in attacking midfield and wide areas.
The Frenchman is out of contract at Lyon in the summer of 2026, so they are potentially losing value on him all the time, and he could even be allowed to leave in the January transfer window, due to the Ligue 1 club’s finances.
Now, Foot Mercato report that Liverpool and Lyon are around £4.1m short in their valuation of Cherki, with the Reds able to snap him for a maximum of £29.2m.
Our thoughts on Liverpool’s pursuit of Cherki…
Given the vast transfer fees that exist in the modern game, this feels like a relatively small amount of money for Liverpool to pay for an incredibly gifted young footballer.
Football talent scout Jacek Kulig is clearly a big admirer of the attacker, not only describing him as “incredible” but also saying he is a player who possesses “pure quality” in his game. Eleven goals in 20 appearances for France’s Under-21s perfectly highlights his ability.
The addition of Cherki could also give Liverpool an extra sprinkling of attacking magic during the second half of the season, adding depth to Arne Slot’s squad at a point when legs could begin to tire.
The Lyon star could be eased in to begin with, not being used too often and fully integrating with Slot’s style of play in pre-season next summer, but still offering quality from the substitutes’ bench at the same time.
The fact that Cherki’s current club may be forced to sell him in January can only act as a bonus for Liverpool, in terms of putting them in a strong bargaining position, but that’s not to say that they should be too frugal when it comes to signing him in the next window.
