The rising star who could unlock Manchester City’s title hopes

November 3, 2025 Oliver Obel

Manchester City have completed the signing of Rayan Cherki, the French midfielder joining on a five-year deal that runs through 2030. The 22-year-old becomes the club’s third arrival of the 2025 summer window and one of the most intriguing talents to work under Pep Guardiola.

A graduate of Lyon’s famed academy, Cherki made his senior debut at just 16, becoming the club’s youngest-ever goalscorer. He featured in a Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich soon after, continuing to break age records and showcase the promise that made him one of Europe’s most watched prospects.

Over 185 appearances for Lyon, Cherki built a reputation for flair and imagination. Named in the 2024/25 Ligue 1 Team of the Season, he combines technical artistry with end product — comfortable on either wing or in a central role. Two-footed and fearless, he glides past defenders, creates chances from tight spaces, and finishes with calm precision.

Cherki has already impressed in sky blue, contributing both goals and assists at the FIFA Club World Cup. Since returning from a two-month thigh injury in October, he has registered one goal and three assists, quickly re-establishing himself as one of City’s main creative outlets.

City’s New Connection

Manchester City’s 3–1 win over Bournemouth at the Etihad on Saturday offered a glimpse of what the future may hold. Cherki assisted both of Erling Haaland’s goals — first with a deft header that caught the defense off guard, and later with a sublime first-time pass that split the back line and left Haaland with a simple finish.

Those moments of vision and timing were exactly what City needed to break through their stubborn opponents — and what De Bruyne so often provided.

With Kevin De Bruyne now plying his trade at Napoli, Guardiola faces the challenge of reshaping the creative core of his midfield. The Belgian’s departure leaves a void in City’s playmaking rhythm — one that Cherki seems uniquely equipped to fill.

His combination of improvisation, agility, and quick decision-making gives Haaland a new kind of supply line: less about pinpoint crosses, more about instinctive one-twos and creative disruption in tight spaces. Under Guardiola’s guidance, that partnership could evolve into the next defining axis of City’s attack.

For City, this isn’t just a signing for the future — it’s the beginning of a new chapter in their pursuit of dominance, powered by a different kind of brilliance.

Sources: Manchester City FC, Ligue 1 Archives, SofaScore, Transfermarkt