PSG ready to beat Liverpool to Man City attacking wizard if FFP punishment is severe – Exclusive

PSG are strongly monitoring Liverpool target, Rayan Cherki, as Manchester City await punishment over their financial case, with sources stating the French champions would not hesitate to move for the attacker.

Cherki, 23, joined Man City from Lyon two summers ago and has quickly established himself as one of the more inventive players in the Premier League. His maiden season in Manchester brought 25 goal contributions, and in just eight games this season, he’s already racked up six.

Cherki’s contract runs until 2030, so any departure would require a substantial fee rather than a free-agent chase.

That has not deterred interest, with sources saying his name is hugely popular within the PSG boardroom.

Cherki is viewed as a player who fits both the club’s attacking profile and its preference for French talent with resale and commercial value.

The context to this story is the independent commission’s finding that City breached Premier League financial rules over a nine-season period from 2009-18.

The club were found guilty of the charges relating to those breaches, including arrangements the league described as sham commercial deals used to disguise funding. No sanction has yet been handed down.

A separate hearing will decide the punishment, and City have denied wrongdoing throughout and launched an appeal.

Until that outcome is known, the biggest clubs in Europe are watching City’s leading players, with the latest on potential exit routes for Phil Foden and Gianluigi Donnarumma found here.

PSG want Liverpool target, Rayan Cherki

Relegation, a points deduction or a transfer embargo would each change the market in different ways, and executives are preparing for every scenario.

Sources close to the PSG discussions say the club would not hesitate if Cherki became available at a price they consider workable, whether in January or next summer.

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Cherki cost €42.5m when arriving from Lyon, but City would now demand much more given he’s proven himself in the toughest league in world football.

PSG would not have a clear run, however. Chelsea have been credited with renewed interest, having tried to sign Cherki before his move to the Etihad, while Real Madrid and Liverpool are also said to be monitoring his situation.

Bayern Munich have been mentioned in some reports but have been ruled out as serious contenders by sources.

For now, Cherki remains a City player, and nothing formal has been agreed. The sanction, still unannounced, is what will decide whether monitoring turns into a proper transfer story.