Lyon owner issues new Rayan Cherki deadline day statement amid Liverpool transfer 'interest'
Liverpool are among several clubs who have been linked with Rayan Cherki.
Olympique Lyonnais owner John Textor has declared that Rayan Cherki will not be leaving before the transfer window closes.
The Ligue 1 outfit are in financial trouble and have been provisionally relegated to the second tier by the French football watchdog DNCG. Lyon posted debts of £422 million last year.
Cherki is one of Les Gones’ star players. This season, the 21-year-old has recorded five goals and nine assist in 26 appearances. He has been linked with several top clubs, with Liverpool one of them. It was suggested by Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano earlier this month that the Reds have scouted Cherki and have scouted him, although no firm negotiations have taken place.
In addition, the winger reportedly has a €22.5 million release clause in place with Lyon. German giants Borussia Dortmund have been suggested as a front runner to land Cherki ahead of tonight’s transfer deadline. But after he featured in a 3-2 loss against Marseille yesterday evening, Textor has declared Cherki will not be departing.
“Will Cherki leave? No, no chance,” the American told Canal Plus.
Liverpool’s business
Given Liverpool have six senior attacking options, a move for Cherki in January has always been highly improbable. Head coach Arne Slot is more than happy with the forwards at his disposal, with the Reds six points clear at the top of the Premier League table after a 2-0 win at AFC Bournemouth.
Federico Chiesa wasn’t even named on the bench against the Cherries after Diogo Jota returned from injury while Darwin Nunez was back from illness. Mo Salah, who fired a double, started along with Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo.
However, adding to their squad in the summer is something that Slot has admitted the club are already planning. Bolstering their front line is something that ex-Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy believes will happen. Jota has struggled to stay fit for sustained periods, while Nunez has lacked consistency since his arrival from Benfica in 2022 for what could become a club-record fee of £85 million.
Murphy told LiverpoolWorld: “If Nunez has an amazing finish to the season and kicked on a little bit, then maybe they'll analyse it differently and think we'll keep him and work with him. But my gut feeling is that I think Slot will probably go into the market.
“It seems logical because Nunez has been there a while now and not kicked on and not actually become the player a lot of people thought he would.
“Although he's got loads of real good qualities and strengths, Liverpool needs a striker that’s a bit more reliable in front of goal. People are right to point out Jota and his injuries, it's been consistent since he's been at the club that he really struggles to maintain a good number of games.
“So, if you want to be successful and stay at the top of the table in terms of winning leagues and Champions Leagues, then it wouldn't surprise me at all if Liverpool are in a market for a striker.”