Manchester City embroiled in three-way Premier League battle for Lyon attacking midfielder | OneFootball

A trio of Premier League clubs including Manchester City are set for a transfer battle this summer concerning one of French football’s standout names, according to reports.

It is the latest development in Manchester City’s well-documented pursuit of a new attacking midfielder this summer, after club officials opted to part ways with Kevin De Bruyne at the end of his existing contractual agreement.

With the Belgian midfielder now searching for his next opportunity at the top of the game, City are also continuing their work behind-the-scenes as they target the ultimate successor to one of their greatest-ever servants.

That search is believed to have led them directly towards Bayer Leverkusen and Germany international Florian Wirtz, although competition from Bayern Munich and Real Madrid has ensured some element of caution in committing to one profile.

From the perspective of French media, that involves one of the leading creative talents in Ligue 1, who is seemingly causing a stir in Premier League football and attracting interest from multiple top-level suitors.

According to the information of French outlet Le Parisien, as translated and relayed by Get French Football News, a move to the Premier League for Olympique Lyonnais’ attacking midfielder Rayan Cherki is on the cards this summer.

Whilst there is interest from the Bundesliga, it is stressed that the most serious interest comes from England with all of Liverpool, Manchester City, and Tottenham Hotspur having made enquiries for the Frenchman.

Despite extending his contract with Lyon just last summer, it was agreed at the time that he could leave in 2025 for €22.5 million and a failure to honour such agreement could result in unaffordable penalties further down the line for the Ligue 1 side.

For now, there is no indication that Manchester City have given up on their efforts of signing Florian Wirtz, and fresh reports on Tuesday afternoon revealed that officials within the City Football Academy were attempting to ‘hijack’ Bayern Munich’s reported ‘agreement’.

Aside from Wirtz and Cherki, Etihad bosses and their recruitment plans also appear to revolve around Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White, and the understanding is that they will lead the chase for the Englishman in the Premier League this summer.

In a slightly different central role, AC Milan and Netherlands international Tijjani Reijnders is understood to be a ‘serious summer target’ for Hugo Viana and Txiki Begiristain, with the player’s versatility an attraction to those working on squad planning.