Manchester United are among five Premier League clubs interested in signing Rayan Cherki this summer and his former France Under-21s coach Thierry Henry has given some insight into the Lyon star
Manchester United have been warned that Rayan Cherki will need a tough love approach from Ruben Amorim next season if they win the race for his signature. United are one of five Premier League sides interested in signing the Lyon star this summer – and Thierry Henry has given them some advice on how to get the best out of him.
Cherki is poised to leave Lyon in the summer transfer window after catching the eye of many scouts by contributing 12 goals and 20 assists in 44 appearances. He is understood to have a €22.5million (£19m) release clause in his contract and Lyon know they are powerless to resist the widespread interest.
As Mirror Football reported in April, United have tracked Cherki since he was 16, having originally tried to convince him to join their academy instead of Lyon’s. But they will face stiff competition from Tottenham, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan with the 21-year-old’s talent and bargain price sparking a tug of war.
Henry has coached Cherki in his old role with France Under-21s and the Olympic team and knows what makes him tick. The Arsenal legend says that, while his talent is not in doubt, Cherki has to be encouraged to contribute defensively.
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“We didn’t give him anything, he got through it, and that too is the strength of a great player,” Henry told L’Equipe. “Everyone knows what he can do. And this season, he has shown that he also knows how to do what is expected of him without the ball, that is to say, adapt to a system.
“His problem was that he had never been able to play a string of matches to show what an extraordinary player he is. But to play a string of matches, he had to do things, defensively, throughout the duration of a match.
“This season, he did it, so he played a string of matches. I appreciate this kid so much… It’s just that at certain times, you had to be tough, like a father with his son.
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“For me, we’re talking about a guy who should have been battling with the others, at the very top, for a long time to see who is the best. He fell behind because it took him a while to understand… But now, he’s understood.”
The statistics certainly back up Henry’s assessment. Cherki has scored 13 goals in 23 games for France Under-21s and is now expected to be called up to the senior Les Bleus squad this summer.
But for now he is focused on securing a transfer, having dropped a strong hint after Lyon’s 2-0 win over Angers in their final league game of the season. He said: “Thanks to OL, the coach, the staff, the president, my teammates and all people at the club.”
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