Chelsea could be snubbed by long-term Ligue 1 target

Chelsea target Rayan Cherki was back in the starting XI for Lyon today in their 3-2 defeat to Lens.

The attacker had been frozen out of the side by Fabio Grosso, but now the Italian has departed the club he has found his way back onto the team-sheet.

Cherki was set for a move away with Gross at the helm but now he’s left the French club it could well change matters.

Grosso had said about the youngster: “He’s not a special player, he’s a player like any other. He is a player with extraordinary potential, I hope he turns it into reality. He has destiny in his hands, he has been given incredible qualities, but he can still progress to express his potential.”

Pundit Jerome Rothen then appeared on radio station RMC, claiming that the player took a lot from the former coach.

“There are experienced and very experienced players who told me that he was perhaps one of the worst coaches they have ever had,” Rothen said.

“He has alienated everyone. Everyone talks about Cherki, but it’s not just Cherki.

“Rayan Cherki takes a lot from Fabio Grosso, more than the others, which is astonishing. But it shows in his actions, because he puts him on the bench and punishes him. On Sunday, he punished him again, but he wasn’t the only one.”

No Rayan Cherki in the Lyon squad to face Marseille on Sunday 💥

There’s no report of any injury problem.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles also fails to make the cut for Fabio Grosso’s ailing team. https://t.co/GfHkScMtmV

— Robin Bairner (@RBairner) October 28, 2023

When were Chelsea interested? ?

Over the summer, ESPN reported that Chelsea are preparing to make an opening offer for the Lyon wonderkid as a replacement for Christian Pulisic, who left to AC Milan.

At the time it was thought that Cherki was keen to join Chelsea and that he would cost around €40 million. Cherki is under contract until June 2025 after an automatic one-year extension was triggered in April when he reached 15 Ligue 1 starts.