According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Manchester City is poised to submit an official offer to Ligue 1 club Lyon in the coming hours. This follows the successful agreement on personal terms with 21-year-old attacking midfielder Rayan Cherki. The Premier League side is reportedly leading the pursuit to sign the French international, potentially viewing him as a creative successor to the departing Kevin de Bruyne. Notably, City reportedly withdrew from contention for Bayer Leverkusen prospect Florian Wirtz partly due to the significant cost involved in his potential transfer.
Manchester City sees Cherki as a more financially viable alternative compared to Wirtz, who is widely anticipated to join Liverpool. Pep Guardiola has apparently been instrumental in preparing the ground for Cherki`s arrival, contributing to the agreement on personal terms, Romano reports. The Italian insider adds that the English club is expected to submit their formal bid to Lyon imminently to finalize the deal, with initial discussions between the two clubs reportedly having commenced over the previous weekend.
Cherki is currently with the senior French national team squad. They are scheduled to compete against Spain in the Nations League semi-finals this Thursday, with the match taking place in Stuttgart.
