Lyon attacking midfielder Rayan Cherki “remains keen on a move” to Manchester City, despite there being issues with the transfer fee, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.
Lyon are standing firm on their asking price, which is believed to be above €30m (£25m), even though he has only a year left on his contract.
The Cityzens remain in talks over securing Cherki’s signature, but it remains to be seen whether a breakthrough can be found.
It was originally reported that there was a release clause but that has been denied by reliable sources.
Liverpool are unlikely to battle City for the midfielder
It has been confirmed that Reds boss Arne Slot flew out to meet with Cherki last month but the Merseysiders are not expected to make a bid for the France Under-23 international.
The Premier League champions were only considering the player as a potential fallback option for Florian Wirtz.
Cherki has been speaking to the press
The 21-year-old has often been criticised for his poor attitude. Former manager Fabio Grosso questioned his “mental and athletic qualities.”
In a recent interview with French publication L’Equipe (quotes translated by City Xtra), Cherki denied that he is a difficult player to manage:
“People don’t know me very well, otherwise I’d be less criticised. When people really get to know me, more than a few are surprised. They hear things people sometimes try to make up and realise they’re not true. I don’t feel like describing myself – that’s not my role. “People who know me are best to do that.”
“I’m also talking about everything that’s been made up, all the things people have said about me, my entourage, even though there’s never been any incidents. I’m human, so of course, positive and negative things can happen to me.”
“People have sometimes said I’m hard to deal with, difficult to coach… That’s not true. I’ve always stayed silent, I’ve never responded. I invite all my critics to name something real. They can think about it for a very, very, very long time.”
In other news, City fans have been reacting to reports that the club want to sign a left-back
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