Speaking to L’Équipe in an extensive interview, 21-year-old Rayan Cherki discussed his difficult start to the season with Olympique Lyonnais. Last summer, as the Lyon youth product entered the last year of his deal, the club was eager to sell him to avoid losing him for free.
Although Paris Saint-Germain reached an agreement with Lyon, they reportedly failed to persuade Cherki. Borussia Dortmund, conversely, won over the player but not the club. Lyon subsequently sidelined Cherki in an effort to push through a summer transfer.
Despite this, as the transfer deadline passed, Cherki stayed at his boyhood club after rejecting a bid from Fulham that Lyon had accepted. Only after he signed a contract extension was he brought back into the first-team squad from being sidelined.
Reflecting on the period, Cherki now finds humour in the situation.
Everyone forgets that. It still makes me smile. It highlights how thankless football can be; I dedicated everything to this club. I signed my first pro contract here despite alternatives, extended my deal multiple times, and consistently promised not to leave for free. Yet, in return, some people tried to harm me.
He added:
I never gave up. I knew my path. I faced significant internal criticism, my circle was criticised… but ultimately, I make the decisions.
He emphasized this point when discussing the upcoming transfer window, amidst links to Manchester City.
No one will decide for me how, why, or where [I will go].
