EXCLUSIVE: Man City target Rayan Cherki amid Florian Wirtz concerns

FootballTransfers understands that Manchester City have identified Rayan Cherki as a much more affordable alternative to Florian Wirtz.

The Cityzens are preparing for a huge summer transfer window that will see Pep Guardiola continue the rebuild he started in January. New sporting director Hugo Viana officially started in his role on Monday, and Man City’s summer planning can really kick into gear now.

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Club legend Kevin de Bruyne announced last week that he will depart the reigning Premier League champions after an illustrious decade-long stint, with Inter Miami a potential destination for him.

However, De Bruyne is unlikely to be the only big-name Man City star on the way out this summer, with the likes of Jack Grealish and Ederson also frequently linked with a departure.

This means that Man City will have to replace several players this summer, and FootballTransfers understands that this is complicating their pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen wonderkid Florian Wirtz.

We can confirm David Ornstein’s reporting that he is among Man City’s options to replace De Bruyne, however, we are told that, as things stand, a summer move to the Etihad is unlikely.

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Wirtz too expensive

Sources say that Man City anticipate Wirtz to be simply too expensive in the upcoming window. If it was just a matter of solely replacing De Bruyne, the Manchester giants would consider lodging a bid for the 21-year-old.

However, with the club looking to sign as many as five players this summer, there are major doubts over Wirtz’s price, which is believed to be in the region of €130 million to €150m.

Despite being in a comfortable financial situation, Man City need to be wary of Profit and Sustainability Rules after splashing over €200m on new signings in January.

Additionally, Wirtz is currently in advanced contract talks with Leverkusen and may not be available at all this summer if he indeed decides to commit to fresh terms.

Man City are therefore looking at different options and we hear that Rayan Cherki is viewed as a very cost-effective potential signing. The French youth international is expected to leave Lyon this summer and likely won’t cost more than €30m-€40m due to his expiring contract.

Lyon still need to raise significant funds to stave off their provisional relegation to Ligue 2, and Cherki is among their most valuable assets, which is why they reneged on their agreement to let him leave for just €22.5m when Dortmund made a move for him in January.

The 21-year-old is seen as ideal value for money considering the amount of top-level experience he already has at such a young age. After a couple of disappointing seasons, Cherki has emphatically bounced back and currently boasts nine goals and a whopping 18 assists.

A move to Man City would certainly make for an interesting dynamic as the eccentric youngster previously revealed his distaste for the modern football that Guardiola has so prominently influenced.

“Football is evolving, we are moving towards different qualities from those of the past,” Cherki told So Foot last year. “Now it’s power, efficiency, the search for the goal at all costs.

“For me, the football that I originally watched and appreciated is the one where you say to yourself: ‘Wow, how did he do that?’ This old-fashioned football is the one we all fell in love with, right?

“I associate it with having fun and filling the stadium, but today, we have to score, score, and above all else not concede a goal.”