Cherki opens up on future amid Chelsea and Liverpool interest

Rayan Cherki has refused to rule out a move away from Lyon following his links with a move to the Premier League.

The attacker has netted 22 goals and provided 31 assists in 157 appearances across all competitions since emerging from the French outfit in 2021.

The 21-year-old only signed a 12-month contract extension in September, meaning that his terms are up in 2026. And with not long left on this deal, links have been extensive.

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Lyon will want to keep hold of him but there is an added complication as the club are facing serious financial difficulties. They are fifth in Ligue 1 and there is a serious chance that they could be relegated at the end of the season if they do not get their books balanced.

Les Gones are enjoying a solid campaign given the circumstances but could end the season demoted to the second tier unless they manage to ease their €500 million debt burden.

CaughtOffside have linked Liverpool, Arsenal, West Ham, Newcastle, Chelsea and Crystal Palace to Cherki, while they say that any sale of the Frenchman would go a long way toward securing Lyon’s stay in Ligue 1.

Compared to last season, Cherki has been much improved this term and this has emboldened Lyon. While Cherki was on the market for just €15m in the summer, his encouraging performances have convinced the Ligue 1 side that they can ask for more in 2025.

Clubs know that Lyon desperately need to sell and won’t be held to ransom by the French club. Cherki currently has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of just €9.3m after previously peaking at close to €20m.

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What did Cherki say?

Cherki has now touched on his future in a recent interview. “We’ll see at the end of the season if I’m still here or not,” he replied when asked about his future after Lyon beat Eintracht Frankfurt 3-2 in the Europa League on Thursday.

According to an exclusive report from GiveMeSport, the Lyon star has been looked at by Tottenham ahead of a potential move in January.

They are exploring alternatives in the transfer market. Spurs are unlikely to make Timo Werner’s loan move permanent despite having the option to buy him for £8.5 million.

Manager Ange Postecoglou seems to have lost confidence in the German forward, going so far as to publicly criticise him following the team’s 1-1 Europa League draw with Rangers in Scotland.