Although he still has to kick a ball for Manchester City, Rayan Cherki is already endearing for supporters.
While he was casually on the side of a training pitch in Boca Raton, one hour north of Miami, where Pep Guardiola's team is put by their suits during the club World Cup, it felt as if the man who was purchased was partially the creative emptiness that was left by Kevin de Bruyne.
This, he says, is the club that can offer him a platform to win the balloon d'Or.
No, he does not replace De Bruyne because, in the Frenchman's own words, how can anyone. Oh, and he wants to 'kill Manchester United'. Strong words around and he only spoke five minutes.
All this will be music in the ears of city fans and his new employers. The arrival of Cherki from Lyon for a first £ 30.4 million led the most intrigues in the transfer flake for this tournament -especially after he was captured in the home crowd of Goading United during the historic 5-4 Europa League defeat at Old Trafford.
United was thought that he had been interested in him as a teenager.
“I didn't like it when Manchester United won the match against Lyon because I am a Lyonnais,” he said after a punitive training session in 32 degrees Heat. 'Now I am waiting for the game (to kill them. I just wanted to go to Manchester City.
“When I spoke with Pep and he wanted me – he was very, very clear. That the system, the club, the city is very good. I want to win and I think City wants to win everything. That is better for me.
“If you see Rodri, he won the balloon d'Or here – it's clear that it is possible with the city and I am here for this.”
There is absolutely no doubt that the 21-year-old more personality will inject in the Premier League.
He has something of the Phil Fodens about him in the sense that he always needs a ball in the neighborhood, Cherki goes to members of the audience along the strip of sand outside their Basecamp hotel for a kickabout earlier this week.
He is here to please, entertain, to shoot both feet – just as skilled with both – and that are Maverick fans crave.
There will be some who are from the cuff of the cuff and immediately suggest that Guardiola will coach that out of him, pointing to the malaise of Jack Grealishe and then Ultimate Nossedive in the Etihad Stadium.
Unfortunately, those opponents did not pay attention to the nine years of Guardiola.
Cherki registered 12 goals and 20 assists in 44 games last season for Lyon and recently scored a stunning goal in the Nations League during his debut in France. Clips of his tricks, first touch and finish are regularly viral.
His ability to unlock defenses should help in a post-de Bruyne world after the Belgian had signed for Napoli after the expiry of his contract.
Although the trust of the new attacker is clear, he moved to avoid comparisons and offered insight into how Guardiola intends to use his talent.
“I'm not Kevin De Bruyne – he is the legend (from the club),” Cherki added. 'I am here to help the team. We have the best players in the world. I work and I wait for my turn.
'I spoke with Pep about my position on the field and we talked about what I like when I am on the field. It's very good for me.
“He told me he loves a NO10, but now I play all the positions in the field – so it's not complicated because I just want to play.
“Pep told me:” If you have the ball, you are free, “which is very good for me because it's my first quality to help the team.”
Free is the big word there and in the past 12 months he has channeled it in a more production way.
Lyon teammates have revealed that Cherki's working speed of the ball and the willingness to help defensively improve considerably improved and shifted a light in him. It is clear that these are attributes that he needs to succeed under Guardiola.
Through the departing director of football Txiki Begiristain and his successor, Hugo Viana, City will have made the necessary care on suggestions that it is difficult to coach. It is clear that they are happy with what they have heard.
“I think I had the best season of my career, managed to let people only talk about good things: my pass, dribble,” said Cherki.
'I don't hear many people talking about the unfounded criticism with which I was confronted. I think I have taken a step forward in all aspects: my efficiency, defensive work, efforts without the ball.
'Everyone knows my attacking style, dribbling, passing. That is not what I worked on the most, I worked instead to know what I wanted to be, what makes the difference. '
Nothing that Cherki has offered about himself will dampen fans' hunger to see him play. And actually the expectation around someone has increased a little differently.