Man City sign France playmaker Cherki to usher in start of post-De Bruyne era

Manchester City kickstarted the post-Kevin De Bruyne era by signing maverick France playmaker Rayan Cherki from Lyon for €36 million ($41 million) on Tuesday, in time to play in the Club World Cup.

The 21-year-old Cherki, regarded as one of the most exciting young talents in French soccer, scored a brilliant volley and starred as a substitute on his international debut for France against Spain in the Nations League semifinals last week.

A product of Lyon’s renowned academy like Karim Benzema, Cherki has been on the radar of Europe’s biggest clubs for a while. He came close to signing for Paris Saint-Germain in the last offseason but the move fell through.

Now he is headed for Pep Guardiola’s City and is set to fill the role vacated by De Bruyne, the team’s long-time star who has been released after 10 years’ service.

“He’s a player our scouts have watched for a long time, and we have all been impressed with his skill and creativity. I am convinced our fans will be excited to see him play,” City director of football Hugo Viana said.

“There’s no doubt that he’s now in the best place possible to develop further under Pep’s guidance and I really believe he can become a world-class player with our support and direction.”

With Netherlands midfielder Tijjani Reijnders also reported by British media to be joining City, the club appears to be re-energizing a midfield that was filled last season with players in their 30s like Ilkay Gundogan, Mateo Kovacic and Bernardo Silva.

Kovacic has undergone Achilles surgery and is unavailable for the new-look, 32-team Club World Cup, which starts on Saturday. City in the same group as Juventus, Al Ain and Wydad Casablanca and its first match is on June 18.

Cherki’s background