Man City Legend Reveals Secret to Unleashing Rayan Cherki's Hidden Brilliance
Ex-Manchester City center-back Joleon Lescott believes Pep Guardiola will maximize the potential of new recruit Rayan Cherki, as the French talent aims to address the gaps left by departing Kevin De Bruyne and sidelined Jack Grealish.
The 21-year-old Cherki joined Man City from Lyon for an estimated €36 million ($41.1 million) transfer fee, describing the move as "a dream come true." The attacking midfielder was named in Man City's Club World Cup roster along with fellow summer acquisitions Tijjani Reijnders, Marcus Bettinelli and Rayan Aït-Nouri. The trio of Reijnders, Aït-Nouri and Cherki demonstrates a shrewd and calculated first transfer window under Guardiola, while Bettinelli provides additional cover behind Ederson and Stefan Ortega. With Grealish excluded from the Club World Cup squad amid transfer speculation, Cherki faces a significant chance to make his mark.
Lescott spoke with Sports Illustrated during Maxwell Studios' Flavors of Football event in Manhattan about the transfer.
"I believe he'll be eager to absorb knowledge from Pep. I think Pep will be thrilled about his abilities, and we've witnessed this approach with [Omar] Marmoush recently and Phil [Foden] in previous campaigns. He enables players to showcase their individual excellence. While he maintains a specific structure and tactical approach, he's collaborated with one of football's legends (Messi) and allowed him creative freedom," Lescott explained to SI.
Though Cherki operated mainly as a right-sided attacker for Lyon last season, he's demonstrated remarkable adaptability across positions from central midfield to striker. This flexibility is something Guardiola will likely utilize during the Club World Cup and the upcoming campaign.
"I'm confident [Guardiola] will provide players with autonomy and accountability to become game-changers if they can deliver results - that's crucial. It's not about 'Let Cherki do whatever he pleases whenever he wants.' There's a tactical foundation, but within that structure, you create magical moments," Lescott explained.
Lescott emphasized that gifted players shouldn't have their natural instincts coached out of them, but rather be positioned where their talents can flourish.
"Simply place players in field positions where they excel most. With talents like Marmoush, Rayan or Phil, you don't instruct them on beating opponents. You position them in the right areas and say 'This is your receiving zone, once you get the ball, execute your skills.' That's football's beauty when we can foster player creativity."
Cherki might make his first appearance on Wednesday as the Citizens face Wydad AC in the FIFA Club World Cup.