Rayan Cherki: Man Utd make ‘SHAMEFUL’ transfer bid

Manchester United have been told that their opening bid to sign Rayan Cherki was “shameful”.

Man Utd are eager to take Lyon playmaker Cherki to the Premier League, a sentiment that was no doubt enhanced when he scored against them in the Europa League last Thursday.

Competition comes from Chelsea and Liverpool for the moment, with the 21-year-old one of the hottest properties on the transfer market given his electric form this season.

Lyon’s financial position compels them to make summer sales, so Cherki will leave OL. However, the Red Devils’ opening bid for the Lyon prodigy has been branded “shameful” by French media after The Mirror revealed that they have offered just €23 million for the star.

Lyon, meanwhile, hope to raise €30m for the player. This is an unambitious figure in itself. Cherki’s Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) is €37.5m, yet the Ligue 1 side’s modest asking price relates to their desperate need to raise funds and is also a nod to the player signing a contract extension last summer when it appeared he might become a free agent.

It remains to be seen how Man Utd’s lowball offer has on their ability to negotiate with Lyon down the line. Other clubs, most notably Chelsea, could see this as a weakness in the Red Devils’ bid to be exploited, as it sends a message to Cherki that they are not really serious about signing him.

Rayan Cherki: The best player in Ligue 1?

Cherki has delivered a campaign with 11 goals and 18 assists across all competitions in what has been a breakout season personally.

He has particularly thrived after being made the centre of attention at Lyon, according to L’Equipe journalist Nabil Djellit.

“After the winter transfer window, Lyon refocused their game around Cherki, who for me is the best player in the French Championship at the end of the season, outside of Paris Saint-Germain,” he said.

“You can look at it any way you like, I see Cherki doing things that I don’t see in other players. Something is happening around Rayan Cherki, at OL, you can see that they get along well, that the players are looking for each other. They are happy to play together and they are looking for each other.”

Cherki caught the headlines following Lyon’s first-leg clash with Man Utd when he claimed Ruben Amorim’s side were “scared” of Lyon.