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Arsenal and Newcastle to Battle Over ‘Future Ballon d’Or Winner’, It’s Not Isak
Will Lancaster
19 – 24 minutes
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Mikel Arteta and Eddie Howe
Arsenal and Newcastle United are already set to go to war over Alexander Isak’s future in the coming months, according to various outlets – but a new report has stated that the Gunners and the Magpies could battle it out over someone else, with Rayan Cherki of Lyon thought to be in their sights ahead of a potential summer transfer.
Cherki has been in the public domain for a number of years after making his Lyon debut at the age of just 16 months, two months and two days. And with 176 appearances for the club already, the playmaker has written his name into Ligue 1 history as one of Lyon’s best-ever youth talents. But his most productive season yet has tempted interest from elsewhere, with reports stating that Arsenal and Newcastle could battle it out to sign the French youngster, who has been touted to win the Ballon d’Or in the future by The Athletic reporter Alex Barker..
Report: Arsenal and Newcastle Could Battle for Cherki
The Gunners and the Magpies could spend big this summer
Rayan Cherki in action for Lyon
The report by TBR Football states that various English clubs have ‘asked’ to be kept informed about Cherki – with Arsenal and Newcastle being two of the sides who have taken an interest in the midfielder’s talents.
Rayan Cherki’s Premier League statistics – Lyon squad ranking
Stats
Output
Squad rank
Appearances
23
=9th
Assists
9
1st
Key Passes Per Game
2.5
1st
Shots Per Game
1.3
=4th
Dribbles Per Game
1.7
1st
Match rating
7.34
1st
The midfielder has seemingly changed his attitude this season, per the publication, and that has seen him produce the best numbers of his career so far, with eight goals and 18 assists in just 26 starts for Lyon in the current campaign.
As well as his club form, Cherki was massively impressive in France under-21’s 5-3 win over England, where he dominated against some of the best young defenders in the country in Jarrad Branthwaite and Rico Lewis.
That has seen him touted for a move to the Premier League – and TBR Football further claim that Cherki has an agreement with Lyon where he can move on for less than £25million, which represents a complete bargain for clubs with the riches of Premier League money.
That could see Arsenal and Newcastle battle it out to secure his signature, with Mikel Arteta wanting a number 10 to come into his ranks for added creativity – whilst Newcastle could have Cherki line up on the right-wing to join Anthony Gordon and Isak in Eddie Howe’s forward ranks for a superb amount of firepower.
Whilst both sides will have to fend off other clubs for his services, Cherki’s natural talent shines above all else and, at £25million, he’s certainly worth a punt for top-flight teams at such a cheap price.
Statistics courtesy of WhoScored. Correct as of 03-04-25.
Unai Emery of Aston Villa
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