Liverpool told what they must do to sign Rayan Cherki

Tom Weber

Updated: 20 Dec 2024 14:50 GMT
3 min read

Liverpool must break the bank if they wish to sign Rayan Cherki in January, according to French media.

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The Olympique Lyon wonderkid is expected to, belatedly, leave his boyhood club in 2025. Cherki was already on the exit ramp in the summer, but talks with PSG, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig ultimately came to nothing.

He ended up extending his expiring contract by a year but he will not remain with the Ligue 1 side beyond next year. Due to financial mismanagement, Lyon have been provisionally relegated to Ligue 2 and must raise significant funds to stave off their demotion.

Cherki, who is enjoying a brilliant season after several years of underperformance, is a prime candidate to get turned into cash and suitors are beginning to queue up.

Liverpool have been heavily linked with the 21-year-old in recent weeks and Cherki recently admitted that he did not know whether he would stay at Lyon beyond January.

Liverpool told to pay up

However, clubs hoping to exploit Lyon's desperate situation to get cut-price deals are set to be disappointed. According to L'Equipe, Lyon do not want to sell Cherki in January.

Only an offer too good to turn down could change the stance of Les Doges, who are determined to keep their key players at the club at least until the start of the summer.

A first tentative valuation for 2025 currently stands at €30 million. It is doubtful whether clubs will be willing to pay that - or potentially more - for him in January, but interest in his services is genuine.

Cherki's tally for the season currently stands at five goals and seven assists in 17 games across all competitions, a massive improvement on his previous two campaigns in which he struggled to live up to his significant potential.