Is Liverpool target Rayan Cherki... Benzema or Ben Arfa?

Lyon are one of the most storied clubs in France but are currently in the midst of a financial crisis.

The club - owned by John Textor - must comply by strict spending limits imposed by the French football financial watchdog - the DNCG - leading to a slashing of the wage bill and the possibility of players being offloaded in January.

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One of those players linked with an exit is Rayan Cherki, an exceptionally gifted 21-year-old who has been in and around the Lyon first team for the last five years.

Cherki was previously linked with a transfer to Liverpool last summer. With his Lyon contract running down, it appeared the Reds could well be tempted into the kind of ‘opportunistic’ transfer that sporting director Richard Hughes later completed for Federico Chiesa and Giorgi Mamardashvili.

And Textor didn’t rule out a move for his prized asset in the new year, leaving it up to Cherki to decide his own fate.

Cherki rated at €25m

He started the season under a cloud of uncertainty, spending time outside the team as the contract Lyon dangled in front of him went unsigned. However, Cherki has been restored to the lineup in the last couple of months after finally signing a new deal.

It means Lyon are far better protected in the eventuality that Cherki is sold, particularly as financial pressure begins to tell. Textor admitted that Cherki would have fetched just €15m in the summer transfer market - with only a year left on his deal - but Lyon should get around €25m for their homegrown talent now that he’s been secured until 2026.

The EXPERT opinion on Rayan Cherki

And just as news was breaking of Lyon’s financial woes, renewed links were made between the Reds and Cherki.

Capable of playing in any of the attacking positions - as well as No.10 - Cherki would be a multifaceted option for Arne Slot in his Liverpool offensive positions.

But what kind of player would the Merseysiders be getting for their money? And would he actually be making the side stronger?

We spoke to renowned footballtransfers.com French football expert Robin Bairner for the latest lowdown on Rayan Cherki.

How good is Rayan Cherki?

"Rayan Cherki has been Lyon’s great hope since he broke into the first team as a 16-year-old and immediately showed the quality that had seen him hyped as OL’s biggest prospect since Karim Benzema.

“While Benzema ultimately moved to Real Madrid and won the Ballon d’Or, Cherki’s career has not accelerated in the same manner. Some five years after making his Lyon debut, he remains at the club with a sense that his promise has been unfulfilled."

Who can we compare him to?

“The same freewheeling attitude that Cherki showed in his first steps in senior remains. It makes for compelling viewing, with former Lyon boss Bruno Genesio having once compared him to Hatem Ben Arfa in terms of his style.

“He has also been Ben Arfa-like in terms of inconsistency throughout his career, however. Spells of prolonged excellence when it appears he will realise his potential have been followed by curiously fallow periods, some of which have been self-inflicted."

How has Cherki been playing this season?

“Cherki was frozen out of Lyon’s squad at the start of the season as he refused to sign a contract extension. It would be mid-September before the impasse was broken and he was welcomed back into Pierre Sage’s selection.

“The 21-year-old has since blown hot and cold. The highs arrived as he returned to the team, scoring against Marseille and Olympiakos while embarrassing Rangers in the Europa League with a devastating display of individual skill."

What's Rayan Cherki's position?

“He has rarely been used in his best position on the left wing or even as a No.10. Instead, he has primarily been used on the right, where he is not as potent.

“Cherki gave the world a reminder of his raw potential by scoring one and creating the other as France U21 drew with Italy last week, which was a timely nudge given Lyon’s financial problems were blasted into the public spotlight by their provisional relegation to Ligue 2."

What's your expert assessment of Rayan Cherki?

“As one of OL’s most marketable players, Cherki is naturally one linked with a move away from Lyon, with the suitors still lining up for a chance to tame this still potentially devastating talent.

“It depends which side of him turns up. Get the good version of Cherki, and you've got a winger who can play in any team in the world. Get the bad version and you're playing a man down."

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