Manchester City have reached a full agreement on personal terms with Lyon midfielder Rayan Cherki, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.
The France international has just one year remaining on his Lyon contract and has informed the club of his desire to join Pep Guardiola’s squad this summer.
City’s focus on midfield additions has intensified in recent weeks. They recently finalised terms with AC Milan over the signing of Tijjani Reijnders, and Cherki is expected to be the next piece of their rebuild.
Both players are likely to join the squad before the Club World Cup, which will take place in the United States this summer.
Cherki’s technical ability, versatility and flair have made him one of the standout talents in Ligue 1 over the past few seasons.
He has also featured regularly for France at youth level and is currently away on international duty with the senior team.
Lyon are expected to demand around £34 million for the playmaker, despite earlier suggestions that his release clause could be as low as £25m.
The clause is more complex than initially believed, and City must pay more to get the deal done.
Cherki had previously been considered an alternative to Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz, but City dropped their interest due to the financial demands.
City are also pushing to add a left-back, with Rayan Ait-Nouri of Wolverhampton Wanderers high on the list.
The Algerian is reportedly open to the switch, and a deal could be agreed in the region of £35-45 million.
Guardiola wants to reshape several areas of his squad following a third-place finish last season. Cherki and Reijnders are expected to play key roles in the next phase of City’s evolution.
With the transfer window still in its early stages, City are moving quickly to complete priority deals and avoid drawn-out negotiations.
