West Ham United and Crystal Palace have joined the heated pursuit of Olympique Lyonnais’ star Mathis Rayan Cherki, according to The Athletic.
The 21-year-old French U-21 international has drawn attention from multiple top clubs, including Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen, as Lyon grapples with financial turmoil.
Born on August 17, 2003, in Lyon to Algerian parents, Cherki has been a bright light in a challenging season for Les Gones. A graduate of Lyon’s famed academy, the versatile attacking midfielder could be on the market this winter after the French financial watchdog, DNCG, imposed a provisional relegation and transfer ban on Lyon due to their financial woes.
This situation forces Lyon to offload key players, with Cherki commanding a price tag of €30–35 million. West Ham and Crystal Palace see Cherki as a transformative addition to their attacking options. However, they face stiff competition from Liverpool, who have monitored him closely, and Bayer Leverkusen, poised to swoop in.
As January approaches, Cherki’s future promises to be one of the biggest stories of the transfer window.
