Likened to Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi at different points, the volcanic French forward is adding consistency to his game and a big move awaits

The 2019-20 season will always be remembered for being turned upside down by the coronavirus pandemic, but it was also a campaign in which some world class players emerged. It was the season in which Erling Haaland broke through with RB Salzburg and then took Germany by storm with Borussia Dortmund. It was also the season in which Florian Wirtz became the Bundesliga's youngest ever scorer.

Those two players have more than justified the hype around them but not every youngster who caused a stir that season can say the same. Ansu Fati became Barcelona's youngest scorer and the youngest player to find the net in the Champions League, but that sensational start was ruined by injuries and his career is now at a crossroads.

Then there is Rayan Cherki, who was mentioned in the same breath as Kylian Mbappe at the time when he became Lyon's youngest goalscorer in January 2020 at the age of 16. Five years on the forward is still at Lyon and still waiting for his full France debut. The player who was known to all Football Manager fans as the next wonderkid never quite exploded as many hoped. That is, until now. Cherki is having his best ever season, contributing to 27 goals in all competitions. He has hit a remarkable run of form just as his side are preparing to face Manchester United in the Europa League quarter-finals. And he has already fired a warning out to Ruben Amorim's side by declaring: "We are ready to go to war with them."

Getty Creating the unexpected

Cherki is one of those fascinating players who fans cannot take their eyes off but who managers don't actually like working with. He is Lyon's leading goal provider this season but found himself left out of the starting line-up for the last match against Lille, the seventh time he has been benched in Ligue 1 this season. Fortunately for him he did not spend long on the sidelines as Ernest Nuamah was forced off injured after only seven minutes.

Predictably, it was Cherki who proved to be the match-winner, teeing himself up for a volley inside the area. When the ball struck the net there was an outpouring of emotion from the 21-year-old, who did a knee-slide before rolling over, his expression exuding equal parts happiness, equal parts vindication.

Cherki first made a name for himself in that pandemic-affected season as a substitute, making history as Lyon's youngest scorer with an audacious chip from inside the area to complete a 7-0 rout of lower-league side Bourg Peronnas in the Coupe de France. He soon backed it up in his next cup tie but against a much-bigger opponent in Nantes, scoring twice and setting up two more in a 4-3 win.

His youth coach Jean-Baptiste Gregoire said at the time: "He is a boy who invents things all the time. He creates the unexpected and captivates the attention of everyone: team-mates, coaches, opponents, fans. But what impresses me the most is his passion for football, his determination and his mind to reach the highest level as fast as possible."

AdvertisementGettyDifficult to coach

Gregoire must be the only coach to have worked with Cherki who was impressed with his mentality. Even back then there were questions about his attitude as well as his consistency. Cherki was angry about being left on the bench for a Ligue 1 game against Bordeaux and asked to return to the youth team in protest. His wish was granted but he was chastised for his performance in his next game. Even his father was dismayed, shouting at him on the sideline: "If you don't want to play, get off the pitch."

Cherki has played under six coaches in his time at Lyon and it is fair to say that none of them have been truly enamoured with him. Rudi Garcia, the man who gave him his debut, was the first one to warn him about getting too complacent. He said: "We all keep telling him that he will have the career he deserves if he continues to work. The danger is to make him believe that he is already one of the best players on the planet."

Garcia's successor, Peter Bosz, chose his words carefully when explaining why he repeatedly left him out of his line-up. "I know that Cherki is very popular, it's great for him and for the fans. I choose my players to win the match every week. If I see that we can win with Rayan he will start, otherwise it will be another player."

Getty'Not a special player'

Laurent Blanc revealed he had "some heated discussions" with Cherki over his tendency to play for himself rather than the collective while Fabio Grosso was the most critical. "He's a player; he's not a special player," the Italian said during his short-lived and disastrous spell in charge of Lyon. "He's a player like any other, albeit with some additional qualities. But it’s not just technical qualities that matter; there are mental and athletic qualities as well. He possesses enormous technical abilities, but he needs to work on the others."

Grosso was sacked by Lyon after seven games, leaving them bottom of the table and in serious danger of relegation. Successor, Pierre Sage, led them out of trouble but it was telling that he scarcely picked Cherki early on in his tenure and no one complained as he presided over a dramatic revival, taking them from the foot of the table to sixth. A contract stand-off then ensued last summer, leading to Cherki being left out of the squad for the first few games of the season.

When he was eventually reintegrated into the squad after agreeing a one-year extension, he made a typically dramatic return, coming off the bench against Marseille and scoring a last-gasp equaliser a few minutes later only for his side to concede a winner later on.

Getty Showing maturity, taking responsibility

It was the start of his resurgence though as he scored five goals and contributed seven assists between September and December. Despite their differences, Cherki paid Sage an emotional tribute when he was sacked in January. "He leaves behind an exceptional legacy. When you see where he took the club and where he left it, he has earned everyone’s respect. Very few coaches in the world, and even in the history of football, can claim to have accomplished what he has done."

Cherki has also tried to endear himself to his latest coach, Paulo Fonseca, who made global headlines for furiously confronting a referee in a match against Brest – only his fifth Ligue 1 game – earning a nine-month touchline ban in domestic matches. In their next match, in the Europa League against FCSB, Lyon's players swarmed an emotional Fonseca in a show of unity. Cherki articulated the squad's feelings for the coach when he said: "We really have a very good relationship with the coach. It affected us when we saw his suspension. We were a little in a feeling of injustice before the match, we wanted to give everything for him."

It was perhaps a sign of Cherki's growing maturity. He has taken on new responsibility in the team and is playing the best football of his life under Fonseca, finally adding consistency to the raw talent he has always demonstrated. In his last 11 games he has provided 10 assists while scoring four goals.