Newcastle now keen to sign 19-year-old French talent who really impressed Kylian Mbappe

Add as preferred source on Google

The summer is here and Newcastle United are set to battle with Paris Saint-Germain for the signature of a teenage French sensation Rayan Cherki.

No, you haven’t gone back in time, it’s actually happening again. Last year it was Hugo Ekitike, this time the player in question is 19-year-old Rayan Cherki from Lyon.

The attacking midfielder has been on Newcastle‘s radar for a few months now and a repot from But! Football Club has said that the Magpies could cough up over £50m for Cherki.

Rayan Cherki caught Kylian Mbappe’s eye at just 16

Lyon chairman John Textor is said to be sitting on a ‘golden egg’ in the form of Cherki. As a product of the Lyon academy and with two years left on his deal, Cherki could demand a high fee and that will be almost pure profit for the Ligue 1 side.

At just 16 Cherki caught the eye of Kylian Mbappe who tweeted his appreciation after he bagged two goals and two assists in a Ligue 1 game saying “Don’t talk to him too much about age”.

Since then Cherki has proved that game wasn’t just a flash in the pan. Last season he managed five goals and six assists in 39 games for Lyon.

Newcastle might feel they have the edge over PSG this time around. Both clubs are very aware of Financial Fair Play restrictions but it’s believed Newcastle have more wiggle room with theirs than the French champions and could therefore outbid PSG.

Also this time around, Newcastle are coming off the back of a much stronger campaign and can also offer Champions League football which we couldn’t do when we lost out on Hugo Ekitike last season.

£50million might seem steep but Newcastle could develop Cherki into a superstar

Despite his young age, his exploits in Ligue 1 could mean that Eddie Howe and Dan Ashworth see him potentially as someone who could go straight into the first-team set up. He has a lot of attributes that Howe is looking for in an attacking midfielder and his versatility, being able to play out wide or through the middle, will be very beneficial.

The idea of paying £50million puts me off this one a bit, but the hype surrounding him suggests that it may be a risk well worth taking. One man who will be able to shed some light on his ability will be Bruno Guimaraes who played with Cherki at Lyon.

This could be a good move for Newcastle, and indeed Cherki himself.