Former Lyon owner John Textor has disclosed that Rayan Cherki was close to signing for Paris Saint-Germain in a cut-price deal before eventually completing a high-profile move to Manchester City.
Textor revealed that contractual complexities at Lyon opened the door for a potential transfer to PSG, a scenario that would have dramatically altered the trajectory of the playmaker’s career.
Cherki, who has Algerian heritage, joined Manchester City ahead of the Club World Cup in June for a reported £34 million.
The 22-year-old arrived in England following a standout 2024-25 season with Lyon and has since adapted quickly to Pep Guardiola’s demands, becoming an influential figure in City’s attacking setup.
Since his arrival, Cherki has delivered five goals and eight assists in 22 appearances across all competitions, underlining why City moved decisively to secure his services.
His technical quality, creativity between the lines, and ability to operate in multiple attacking roles have made him a valuable addition to Guardiola’s squad.
However, Textor has now revealed that PSG were once in pole position to sign the player at a significantly reduced fee, due to an unusual clause in Cherki’s Lyon contract.
“Cherki was supposed to go to PSG for €15m,” Textor said, via RMC Sport. “There was a very unusual clause in his contract, which wasn’t a true release clause, but it still gave him some leeway to leave.
“In the end, if he had been entirely our player without all these complications, we would have got more for him.
“But getting over €30m for a player whose release clause was set well below that amount… I think, financially, we did as well as we could.”
