The Olympique Lyonnais owner, John Textor, provided an update on Rayan Cherki (21) following a summer transfer window that saw the creative midfielder reject multiple offers to leave his formative club.
Lyon had placed Cherki in the “loft” over the summer with the France u21 star entering the final year of his contract in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and the club keen not to lose him on a free transfer. It had looked certain that the player would be leaving Lyon with Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, and Fulham FC all linked with a move for the player.
However, by the end of the transfer window, it became clear that Cherki was not going anywhere and instead, he would likely be extending his contract beyond its 2025 end date. Textor was willing to touch on this saga in a wide-ranging press conference this evening. “He refused PSG and Dortmund, and he has the right. He didn’t really see himself at Fulham, Crystal Palace [also] really liked him but he decided to stay.”
The American businessman continued, “What do you do with a player who waits for the end of his contract without the desire to remain a serious asset? We can’t let a player who is not a real asset destroy the club’s business model.” However, Textor was able to provide an update on Cherki’s situation, “We looked at all the options with him and I think he understood the needs and management of a team. So he said yes to a multi-year deal. He hasn’t signed yet but the terms are set. I saw him today, he seems happy.”
