French football’s crown jewel is a wonderkid come good & January’s must buy
Despite being seven-time Ligue 1 winners and five-time French Cup winners, Lyon find themselves in a perilous financial situation.
And not for the first time in recent seasons.
Jean-Michel Aulas enjoyed a largely successful spell as the club’s president for almost three decades, but in more recent times has struggled to keep pace with the Middle Eastern muscle keeping Paris Saint-Germain in control domestically.
Struggling for money and success, Lyon were sold to American businessman John Textor in late 2022, although his tenure so far as president of Les Gones has been embarrassing to say the least.
Genuinely threatened by relegation for the majority of the 2023-24 season after an already underwhelming 2022-23 campaign, they managed to paper over cracks with a fourth-placed finish, but now find themselves strapped for cash and staring down the barrel of a sanction-loaded gun.
The one saving grace amid this crisis for fans has been the way in which Rayan Cherki has stepped up in a difficult time, delivering on the promise that got him into the first-team as a 16-year-old.
Despite his wonderous talent and lofty potential – earmarked as a future world beater from the off – it’s been far from a linear path for Cherki, who is still only 21.
Born in raised in the city in the South of France, Lyon is all Cherki has ever known from football to La Fresque des Lyonnais. It’s made the lows extremely low and the highs beautifully high in his short career thus far.
Just as he appears to be truly coming of age for his hometown club, however, the possibility of packing a bag and levelling up in January suddenly feels inevitable.
And while it would undoubtedly be an emotional exit, charged with anguish that Cherki has to be sold to alleviate financial restraints, this day was, ultimately, always inevitable. When you’re as naturally gifted as him, the sky is the limit.
Three goals and three assists from his opening 12 games in all competitions doesn’t do justice to his performances this season. The midfielder was made for the eye test.
Slipping between opposition defensive lines and splitting them apart with slick one-twos into teammates, or with flicks and skilful touches good enough to melt our mortal brains, watching Cherki is delightful yet infuriating in equal measures.
He’s in that elite group of footballers who seem to have a Bluetooth connection between the ball and their feet, it sticking to his boots like glue while he makes extraordinarily complex touches seem routine.
Spoiler – they aren’t. Try his rabona touch at six-a-side in these subzero temperatures at your own risk.
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Rayan Cherki – chill guy
pic.twitter.com/GMvBnQDS4z— 🥷🏿 (@Bk8iP3) November 21, 2024
Merde. Quel jouer.
There’s just something incredibly special about a player with Cherki’s qualities. It all looks effortless.
Is he the most athletic? No. Is there even an argument to suggest he was almost born in the wrong generation, with the woke mob taking the number 10 role from our beautiful game? Quite possibly.
We’re a glass half-full kind of establishment, however, and we believe a player like Lyon’s hometown hero is thriving for a reason; to spearhead a revival of football’s biggest and most dangerous artists.
And besides, he’s not all for show. There’s an overlooked amount of strength packed into Cherki’s smaller frame, along with a wicked balance which allows him to tie players up in knots when popping the ball between his left and right foot.
Playing at the top of Lyon’s midfield, so many top teams in the Premier League and beyond are crying out for a pure creator like him, in an era of athletes.
Interest is mounting in the Frenchman in England as well as Germany, with clubs aware he could be up for sale at a discounted price due to Lyon’s situation.
He might not be the most efficient presser of the most malleable, but if the right team comes calling in January, Lyon’s local hero might just go global like we all knew he could.
By Mitch Wilks