Man Utd, Liverpool Target Confirms Transfer Decision

Sports Illustrated FC

·18 May 2025

Man Utd, Liverpool Target Confirms Transfer Decision

Rayan Cherki revealed that he has played his “last” game for Lyon after their final Ligue 1 outing of the 2024–25 season amid rampant Premier League transfer speculation.

Cherki recorded his 20th assist of the season in Lyon’s 2–0 victory over Angers on Saturday, a result which saw Paulo Fonseca’s side leapfrog Strasbourg into sixth place. Liam Rosenior’s young guns were stunned by Le Havre as Abdoulaye Touré scored a 99th-minute winner, allowing Lyon to claim a Conference League qualifying spot.

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Their European berth could prove critical given the club’s precarious financial situation, but it seems unlikely for them to retain one of their most prized assets in Cherki this summer.

“It was my last [game], I think, with Lyon, but I’m cautious because I know what I went through last summer," the French playmaker said (as quoted by L’Equipe). “I know what I’ve been through. I’ll see where the wind takes me, I’m proud of what I’ve done for Lyon.”

After a summer riddled with aborted transfers, including to the likes of Lazio and Fulham, the creative maestro has enjoyed a magnificent season in France, recording 32 goal contributions in 44 games across all competitions. The 21-year-old has long been tipped for stardom, but Cherki has only just started to consistently manifest the brilliance he flashed as a teenager.

His form is thought to have once again caught the eye of several Premier League clubs. Manchester United and Liverpool have both been credited with interest in the playmaker by the Daily Mail, and they would’ve been encouraged by what Cherki said after Lyon’s triumph on Saturday.

Cherki departed the pitch in tears when he was substituted on the weekend, with his 185th Lyon appearance looking like his last.

The 21-year-old is reportedly available for as little as £19 million ($25.2 million) this summer, with just one year remaining on his contract. It makes sense for Lyon to sell, and Cherki has insisted that he’s ready for a “new chapter”.

Liverpool and United are unlikely to be the only Premier League clubs keen on striking a deal, with Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle tenuously linked, too. Closer to home, Paris Saint-Germain may fancy stockpiling more supreme French attacking talent.