Man Utd join race for Liverpool's Salah replacement

Cameron Smith

28 Jan 2025 12:00 CST
3 min read

Manchester United have reportedly joined the race to sign Olympique Lyonnais midfielder Rayan Cherki.

The France U21 international is available for a cut-price fee of €22 million during the January transfer window and Man Utd have emerged as contenders to sign him, according to CaughtOffside.

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The 21-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Liverpool in recent months, amid reports he could be selected as the club’s replacement for Mohamed Salah, while Tottenham Hotspur are also understood to be interested.

Liverpool and Man Utd have both lodged an enquiry to sign Cherki this month, as per CaughtOffside, although they may be forced to wait until the summer in order to finalise a deal.

Arsenal, Atalanta, Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen and Paris Saint-Germain have also been credited with interest in Cherki as the battle for his signature begins to ramp up amid his impressive recent form.

The Frenchman has registered five goals and eight assists in 24 appearances across all competitions so far this season and a January transfer could be on the cards if Lyon’s asking price of €22m is met before the end of Deadline Day.

Why is Rayan Cherki available for €22m?

In November 2024, Lyon were handed a transfer ban and a provisional relegation from Ligue 1 after their debt exceeded the €500m mark. As a result, they are in desperate need of raising money and Cherki is deemed to be one of their most sellable assets.

Maxence Caqueret (€15m to Como), Gift Orban (€9m to Hoffenheim), Jeffinho (€5.3m to Botafogo) and Anthony Lopes (free to Nantes) have already left Lyon in January, and Cherki could follow suit.

The France youth star has 18 months remaining on his current contract at the Groupama Stadium and his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) stands at €9.7m.