There's never a quiet day when it comes to Manchester United, with even the Christmas period not exempt from major breaking news and developments.
Late on Christmas Eve, it was announced that the impending investment of INEOS chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe had finally been confirmed, with the Billionaire businessman taking a 25% stake in the club to end months of speculation.
While there will be those angered by the fact that the Glazer family will still remain in place as part of the deal, it is believed that Ratcliffe will largely assume control of the footballing operation, as he seeks to revive an undoubtedly historic club to its former glory.
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The hope for United supporters will be that the 71-year-old – as well as the likes of Sir Dave Brailsford and Jean-Claude Blanc – can put in place a long-term plan to get the Red Devils back to the top of the domestic and European game, following a decade of turmoil and frustration in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
As for the short-term, there will also be a desire to see improvements made to the playing squad at Old Trafford, with the January transfer window perhaps an opportunity for Ratcliffe and co to give Erik ten Hag further reinforcements to attack the second half of the season.
One man possible target who is already reportedly being lined up for 2024 is Lyon sensation, Rayan Cherki, with the 20-year-old potentially set to be the first statement signing of the new regime in Manchester.
Man Utd transfer news – Rayan Cherki
According to Football Transfers, the promising Frenchman is on the radar of those at the Theatre of Dreams, having emerged as a 'key transfer target' for the Premier League outfit.
The report indicates that Cherki – who was linked with a move to rivals Chelsea over the summer – has been of interest to United over an extended period, the presence of Ratcliffe could see them step up their pursuit, with the Englishman keen to bring the player to the club.
The suggestion is that Ratcliffe – who also owns French side, Nice – could utilise his Ligue 1 connections in order to strike a deal for the young playmaker, with a deal in 2024 potentially set to be on the cards.
It is not made clear how much the versatile attacker – who can also feature on the flanks – would cost the Red Devils, having reportedly been valued at around €50m (£43m) in the summer amid those admiring glances from the Stamford Bridge side.
Rayan Cherki's style of play
Lauded as a "generational talent" by journalist Andres Onrubia Ramos, the Lyon native is a figure who has undoubtedly caught the eye in his embryonic senior career to date, scoring 14 goals and providing 18 assists in 119 games in all competitions for his current side.
While described as "very inconsistent" by Eurosport France’s Martin Mosnier, the mercurial maverick seemingly has the tools to flourish if placed in the right environment, with Mosnier have listed his array of qualities:
"He’s really an attacking midfielder although he can also play as a left winger. Cherki is an exceptional dribbler, one of the first things one notices when watching him is that he appears to be ambipedal, as he can seemingly utilise both feet equally well.
“His strengths are as follows: key passes, dribbling and his ability to create something out of nothing."
It is that ability to 'create something out of nothing' – as well as his rise at Lyon – that has perhaps unsurprisingly sparked comparisons to compatriot, Karim Benzema, with the latter man having also begun life with the Ligue 1 outfit, prior to his heroics at Real Madrid.
Described as the 'new Benzema' by various outlets, the youngster's potential has seen him tipped to potentially even emulate the former Ballon d'Or winner, with French football expert Jonathan Johnson having notably said of his talents:
"Probably the best young player to emerge from Lyon’s youth academy for many years, possibly even since Karim Benzema."
In the case of Benzema, the now-veteran marksman scored 66 goals in 148 games for Lyon prior to joining Los Blancos in 2009, eventually going on to win a raft of domestic and European honours at the Bernabeu, as well as contributing 519 goal involvements in 648 games.
Also a player who United themselves were seemingly keen on signing under Ferguson all those years ago, the 36-year-old is certainly the type of figure that Ten Hag would likely love to work with – hence signing his heir apparent in the form of Cherki.
Rayan Cherki's season by numbers
It has no doubt been a difficult campaign for the 5 foot 10 starlet on both an individual and collective basis, with Lyon finding themselves in a scrap for survival near the bottom of the table after a wretched first few months of the season.
Already working under his third manager of 2023/24, Cherki has seemingly found it difficult to properly flourish so far this term, chipping in with no goals and just two assists in 17 games in all competitions in Ligue 1.
1- Ousmane Dembele
2 – Edon Zhegrova
3 – Leroy Sane
4 – Kingsley Coman
5 – Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
6 – Matteo Politano
7 – Vincius Junior
8 – Florian Wirtz
9 – Chris Fuhrich
10 – Jeremie Boga
via FBref
That being said, the in-demand gem still compares favourably to those in his position in Europe's top five leagues, ranking in the top 7% for progressive passes, the top 8% for successful take-ons and the top 9% for progressive carries per 90, indicating his dynamic threat with the ball at his feet.
With the flexibility to operate either out wide or more centrally, the £43m-rated man could not only offer a stern competitor to Bruno Fernandes in a number ten berth, but could also rival the likes of Antony on the flanks – the Brazilian among those tipped for an exit under Ratcliffe and co.
While there may be those hoping for more experienced additions amid the latest crisis to have engulfed the Old Trafford outfit, if Cherki is to arrive either in January or next summer, he could signal a real shift towards a new long-term vision for the Red Devils.