Ratcliffe assists Man Utd pursuit of Antony upgrade after Ligue 1 playmaker becomes confirmed target

Manchester United are being tipped to kickstart a pursuit of Lyon attacking midfielder Rayan Cherki thanks to Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s investment into the club.

Already owner of Ligue 1 club Nice, Ratcliffe has a network in French football to turn to, which – according to Football Transfers – could lead to Man Utd moving for Cherki.

On Christmas Eve, Man Utd confirmed that Ratcliffe has agreed to take a 25% stake in the club, subject to Premier League approval.

His involvement in the club will include control of their football operations, meaning there will be some influence on their transfers.

Football Transfers claims Cherki is someone Man Utd have already admired, but could now step up their pursuit of in the Ratcliffe era.

The report suggests his role in Erik ten Hag’s system would be on the right wing, taking over from Antony, instead of in the central attacking midfield role he has more commonly been operating in this season.

There is no indication of how much Cherki might cost, but TEAMtalk sources have recently suggested something like £25m. Lyon only have him under contract until the end of next season and he is yet to score in this one.

Still only 20 years old, Cherki represents a player of potential to invest in. He has spent his entire career so far with Lyon, so would have to adapt to the Premier League if Man Utd were to buy him.

It would also be a step up in terms of the competitive environment. Even though Man Utd have been short of their expected standards in 2023-24, Lyon have been more so.

Indeed, by Christmas, they found themselves 15th out of 18 teams in the Ligue 1 table, just two points above the relegation play-off place.

They will need their players like Cherki to step up in the second half of the season to reach more comfortable territory.

West Ham also keen on Cherki

Across his whole spell with the Lyon first team, Cherki has scored 14 goals and added 18 assists from 119 appearances.

He has previously played twice in the Champions League for them and four times in the Europa League, but last featured in a UEFA match back in December 2021.

Man Utd are not the only club willing to offer him the next step in his career. Sources told TEAMtalk earlier this month that West Ham are actually leading the race to bring him to England after fellow suitors Chelsea cooled their interest.

We understand Lyon could be open to offers for Cherki as early as the January transfer window, so he will be a player to keep an eye on in the next few weeks.

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