Lyon manager Pierre Sage has admitted they are preparing for Rayan Cherki to leave, as he’s chased by Fulham.
RMC Sport cover comments from the Lyon boss today as Cherki is pushed towards the exit door by the French club.
Reports throughout the summer have seen Cherki linked with a departure from Lyon, with Borussia Dortmund and then Paris Saint Germain reportedly interested.
Neither of those moves came to fruition and it is now Fulham who are leading the race for his signature.
Reports in England yesterday indicated that they had agreed a £12.7 plus £4m on bonuses deal with Lyon for the midfielder but needed to convince him of the move to Craven Cottage.
“There has always been a departure in the background, with all the communication that was going on around him, we were waiting for him in Paris, then we were talking about it in Dortmund, then in lots of other clubs,” he said.
“So, it’s true that for us, we are preparing more for him to leave. Given that there is no short-term projection for him in the squad, there may be no point in him not training with us.
“We will see what happens on August 31, because if at that time, he is still an Olympique Lyonnais player, the data of the problem will be a little different. But I am not sure that this is the case…”
It remains to be seen, then, if Fulham can get the deal over the line. All indications are that they won’t face any problems from Lyon. It’s likely a case of convincing Cherki then.
Given he had offers from Dortmund and PSG already, who can provide Champions League football, perhaps he is wondering whether Fulham is the best destination for him.
That’s not to disparage Marco Silva’s side in any way but it certainly seems to be something Cherki is considering.
