Manchester United have reportedly taken a liking to Lyon attacker Rayan Cherki and could make a move for the Frenchman in 2024.
Having broken into the Gones first team at the age of just 16 in 2019, Cherki - who is most comfortable in the number 10 position - has unsurprisingly been hailed as a player with enormous potential.
The 20-year-old was just 16 years and 140 days old when he netted his first goal for Lyon in January 2020 - becoming the youngest scorer in the club's history - and he became the youngest player to appear in a Champions League semi-final later that season.
Fast-forward to 2023, and Cherki has already made 119 appearances for Lyon's senior squad, racking up 14 goals and 18 assists, and he has been a regular starter for the seven-time Ligue 1 champions in the 2023-24 campaign.
However, Cherki has just two assists to show from 17 top-flight contests this term amid Lyon's disastrous start, which sees Les Gones languish in 15th in the table, just two points clear of Toulouse in the relegation/promotion playoff place.
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Lyon have recently turned a corner under interim manager Pierre Sage, though, and they made it three wins on the trot with a 1-0 beating of Nantes on Wednesday, where Cherki assisted Alexandre Lacazette for the game's only goal.
The France Under-21 international is only contracted to Lyon until 2025 and was linked with a move to Chelsea over the summer, but the Blues apparently vetoed a move due to attitude concerns.
With the Blues now out of the picture, FootballTransfers claims that Man United have set their sights on a deal for Cherki, and the Red Devils have been running the rule over the Lyon man for some time.
Man United have never firmed up their interest with an official bid, but the report adds that the arrival of minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe could accelerate their pursuit of Cherki, as the 71-year-old is a big fan of the player.
Ratcliffe's 25% purchase of the 20-time English champions was confirmed on Sunday afternoon, and the Ineos CEO - who also owns Lyon's Ligue 1 rivals Nice - will have control of football operations at Old Trafford.
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Owing to Ratcliffe's connections in France, Man United could have the edge over other interested parties in their pursuit of Cherki, who is also said to be on the radar of West Ham United and Newcastle United.
As well as Cherki, Man United's Ligue 1 transfer wishlist is also believed to include Nice centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo, but they are thought to be behind Tottenham Hotspur in the race for the Frenchman.
Despite his authority at the Allianz Riviera, Ratcliffe would supposedly not block Todibo from joining Tottenham if an appropriate offer was made, forcing Man United to scope out alternative defensive targets.
A new centre-forward is a priority on the Red Devils' transfer agenda too, but chief operating officer Collette Roche has admitted that the club will not be splashing the cash in the January window.
Man United suffered their eighth Premier League loss of the season in a 2-0 defeat against West Ham United on Saturday, and they lie eighth in the table ahead of their Boxing Day battle with title-chasing Aston Villa at Old Trafford.
Ben Knapton
