Chelsea have been scouting Lyon attacking midfielder Rayan Cherki, according to journalist Rob Pratley.
The Blues have been linked with a number of players from the Ligue One side, including fullback Malo Gusto, and Pratley says they have also been “observing” Cherki’s recent performances:
Whilst scouting Malo Gusto, Chelsea have also been observing Castello Lukeba and Rayan Cherkhi. Lukeba has been watched by several top clubs but Lyon are reluctant to entertain offers. His contract expires in 2025.
— Rob (@RJPJournalism) December 20, 2022
Cherki has made 75 senior appearances despite still only being 19 years of age. When he first made his breakthrough in 2020, none other than PSG’s Kylian Mbappe singled out the teenager for praise:
Faut pas trop lui parler d’âge hein 🙃. @rayan_cherki https://t.co/lqZ6ihu600
— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) January 18, 2020
The literal translation is “don’t speak too much about age”, which would be better interpreted as meaning that ‘age is just a number’.
Cherki is usually deployed as a number 10 or on the right flank, but he will be looking to improve upon his number of goals and assists. He averages a goal involvement every 3.4 matches at the moment, which isn’t bad by any means, but he is more likely to get a big move if he becomes a greater threat in front of goal.