Liverpool have agreed a deal to sign Federico Chiesa from Juventus, with The Athletic citing the cost of the transfer at a measly £10m, plus a potential £2.5m in add-ons.
He mightn’t be the only attacker for whom the Reds strike a bargain, judging by reports from France this afternoon.
According to L’Equipe, LFC have made an enquiry to Lyon regarding Rayan Cherki, who’s seemingly valued at just €15m (£12.6m) by his current club.
The 21-year-old had pulled out of a proposed move to Paris Saint-Germain for that price earlier in the summer, at which point OL chiefs told him to find someone who’d table a similar offer, extend his contract at the Groupama Stadium beyond its June 2025 expiry, or simply let it run out without contributing to the team.
Similar to Chiesa, Cherki finds himself in the final year of his current deal, which goes some way to explaining why Lyon would be willing to accept such a low fee for a 21-year-old who’s already played nearly 150 times for the club.
The France under-23 star is primarily an attacking midfielder but can play anywhere across the forward line too (Transfermarkt), while his match averages for progressive passes and successful take-ons are up with the best of any positional peers in Europe’s five main leagues over the past 12 months (FBref).
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However, the youngster’s goal return is rather poor for a player in the final third, with only six in 110 Ligue 1 appearances across the past four seasons (Transfermarkt).
Also, it’s mentioned in L’Equipe‘s report that Cherki is now leaning towards extending his contract with Lyon after the impasse earlier in the summer, so Liverpool may have left it too late with their enquiry for the Frenchman.
Still, considering the haste with which the Chiesa deal has been sewn up, Richard Hughes might just feel that another bargain swoop is within his capabilities before the transfer window closes on Friday night!
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