Olympique Lyonnais have been renowned for having one of the great academies in European football. The list of graduates in the 21st century is impressive, with the youth system utilised considerably to help the club get through their first financial crisis during the early 2010s while they were building their new stadium. 

By Mohamed Mohamed

Lyon might have to do so once again. As has been widely reported, the club’s finances are being seriously squeezed – something we reported on here – and it could even result in their enforced relegation unless things improve considerably, through likely player sales.

One of the players who has become a serious transfer target in recent weeks is Rayan Cherki, who’s been billed as Lyon’s best academy graduate since Karim Benzema burst onto the scene in the mid to late 2000s, which is no small feat. Cherki’s breakout 2022/23 season appeared to back up that assessment, when he was among the league leaders in chances created per 90 and expected assists per 90. Following a less impactful 2023/24 campaign, and numerous transfer rumours over the summer, Cherki has arguably been back to playing some of his best football in a Lyon shirt this season.

In some ways, Cherki plays the kind of football one would remember from a bygone era. He looks the part of an old school playmaker who floats around and would be tasked with tons of progressive passing and ball-carrying responsibilities, while also being a focal point in the final third. He’s constantly looking to create quick combination sequences with nearby teammates. Few players in the world have his repertoire of passes (backheels, throughballs, dink passes, etc.), aided by him being genuinely two-footed to afford him more angles. This is combined with an aggressive mindset to play passes into advantageous areas, yet not going overboard with too many mindless attempts at those Hollywood balls. It’s hard to pick holes in his ability as a playmaker, something you don’t often say about young attacking talents.

For someone who’s not a speedster nor possesses a lightning first step, Cherki’s dribbling numbers are ridiculous and have consistently been at a very high level since he got into the first team back in 2021. This season, he’s completing 3.80 dribbles per 90 at a 56.8% success rate in Ligue 1. Amazingly, his successful dribbles per 90 rate is lower than the previous two seasons. At a young age, he’s already masterful when it comes to going at his own pace. While no one would call him fast exactly, he can change gears to keep his opponent off balance. Being close to ambipedal also helps in making it tough for defenders to show him a certain direction. Cherki’s second assist vs Rangers in the Europa League from their meeting in early October was a good illustration of why he’s tough to contain. The assortment of fakes, change of pace, and ability to use his right foot for the square pass to Malick Fofana were all on display. 

Without the ball is where there are some question marks about Cherki’s game, both defensively and in attack. Out of possession, he has his issues with effectively covering his man. He also doesn’t have the most robust engine defensively, although that’s improved compared to previous season, and his usage offensively means it’s draining to be both a defensive and offensive asset. In attack, Cherki isn’t someone who’ll constantly spam runs in behind against high defensive lines. Rather, it comes through situations like third man runs or providing an underlapping option towards the wide zone. Occasionally, he’ll move across the pitch to help drag his marker and create space for others. This helps explain why the shot map below is relatively uninspiring, and how he’s been just under 0.10 non-penalty expected goals per shot per throughout his career.

Since becoming a regular starter in the 2022/23 season, Cherki has been a very good player in Ligue 1, which is no small feat considering he’s not turning 22 until next August. Footballers who provide positive value at such a young age have a good chance of becoming a star going forward. This is part of the glass half full argument with Cherki, in addition to believing that his ability to function in tight areas and subtle off-ball movement would work anywhere. Skeptics would argue that his combination of heavy on-ball dominance and questionable defensive play would make it tough for him to scale up and have similar impact alongside supremely talented teammates. They would say that Cherki would need a special environment for him to be at his absolute best.

Players like Martin Ødegaard and Florian Wirtz are examples of how gifted playmakers can still perform at the highest level of play in today’s game. They are the creative engines of Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen respectively, two of the best clubs in the world right now. While having a high on-ball usage, they also play an important role defensively for how they press in aggressive setups. This is one of the questions concerning Cherki’s portability as a player, as the best teams today don’t carry passengers. While he’s gotten better in this area compared to a couple of years ago, it still can be a sore spot.

If Lyon do sell Cherki in the upcoming January transfer window, to appease French soccer’s financial watchdog, clubs looking to acquire him will have to weigh up several factors. Perhaps the biggest one is whether his out of possession work can reach another level through different coaching. Just how much will his prolific dribbling and ball-carrying translate elsewhere. Will the off-ball movement and directness continue the upward trends from what’s been seen so far this season. Of all the teams who’ve been reported to have an interest, Bayer Leverkusen might be the most interesting one given he might serve as a replacement for Florian Wirtz in the event the German does depart to one of Europe’s super clubs. 

Between his production at a young age, unique skill-set, and his availability due to outside circumstance; it’s fair to say that Rayan Cherki is one of the most fascinating young talents in recent memory.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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