Potential Liverpool goalkeeper Rayan Cherki has been compared to Lionel Messi and praised by Kylian Mbappe as Mohamed Salah's contract situation remains unresolved.
With Salah yet to renew his contract, the possibility that this could be his final year on Merseyside is a reality that is starting to emerge. While there is still time between now and the summer before a solution can be found, there are a number of options that Arne Slot could make use of if he is forced to find a replacement for the Egyptian star.
One of the names said to have attracted Liverpool's interest in the past is Cherki – a prodigious attacking talent who has earned his stripes at Lyon and with the French 2024 Olympic squad.
Cherki made his Ligue 1 debut at just 16 – playing his way into the limelight – and Lyon's youngest-ever goalscorer hasn't looked back. However, now that a gentleman's agreement has been agreed for the striker's departure, this could be the time for Liverpool to strike and secure the 21-year-old's services.
The Frenchman has been on the radar of Europe's top clubs for some time, and rumors circulated at the end of 2024 that Liverpool in particular had inquired about his availability.
Among the player's admirers is compatriot Mbappé, who, when Cherki was just 16 years old, posted a telling comment on social media in 2020: “Don't talk too much about age.”
This glowing plea from Mbappe has only fueled the hype surrounding Cherki – something echoed by Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas, who compared the prodigy to an eight-time Ballon d'Or winner.
“Cherki is comparable to (Lionel) Messi in terms of technical quality,” Aulas told Téléfoot, making it quite clear how his current employers regard Cherki.
However, it was another all-time football great that the Frenchman chose to compare and single himself out as an idol worth emulating.
“I am here to give people joy and also to enjoy myself and I think that makes the difference, while at the same time being efficient,” the Lyon playmaker declared in 2024. “I had many idols, but the one I think this is the best and the example to follow is Cristiano Ronaldo. As for his work and his longevity, that is the example to follow.”
It's talk like this that, according to L'Equipe, has Liverpool keeping tabs on Cherki – who could leave Lyon for the cut-price price of just £19m under a so-called gentleman's agreement. However, the French news channel also reports that PSG are interested, and CaughtOffside believes that Bayern Munich are another side that have inquired about Cherki's recruitment.
Despite scoring just 22 goals and 33 assists in over 150 appearances for his current club, Cherki's playing ability and flair set him apart. While he would likely not replace the goals Salah has brought to Anfield, his fleet-footed dynamism, which sees him move between a wide player and an attacking number 10, would undoubtedly add an edge to Slot's side. There are also not too high costs involved.
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