Man City should have signed Ligue 1 flyer instead of summer signing Guardiola branded 'exceptional'

Manchester City had a busy summer transfer window doing a lot of the hard work early on so that Pep Guardiola had more time to work with his new recruits.

The rebuild began properly in January and, after a slow start to this campaign, there are early indications that things are coming together for Pep Guardiola. With Liverpool not yet finding form, Arsenal appears to be the team to beat with their new recruits all hitting the ground running and making and almost immediate impact under Mikel Arteta. Players like Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke have added a depth that was previously missing.

Man City should have signed Rayan Cherki’s teammate instead

Arsenal turned their attentions to Eze and Madueke after missing out on a player who City signed for £34m in the shape of Rayan Cherki who has been injured since August and has only played 191 minutes for his new club. The former Lyon playmaker arrived in England with the reputation of being something of a mercurial magician akin to Jack Grealish in his Aston Villa pomp, but would City have been better off signing one of his teammates who would have made more sense.

Guardiola has been slightly more pragmatic this season and can now field a midfield that is perfectly balanced in terms of skillset and quality. Phil Foden is back to his best with Rodri patrolling in front of the back four and Tijjani Reijnders starting to adjust after moving from AC Milan and the less physical Serie A. What this means, is that even when Cherki is fit, there isn’t an obvious place for him to play. The money would have been better spent on Lyon’s Malick Fofana who is capable of playing on either wing in a 4-1-4-1, 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation. The 20-year old would also have been available for a cut price fee due to the Ligue 1 outfit’s financial woes.

Lyon boss Paulo Fonseco knows that he has a talented player on his hands but that the winger needs to do more in what could be a big year for the in-demand flyer, via Get French Football News: “I expect more, yes. I think he can do more, and I spoke to him about it. He must understand that this is an important season for him and that his time is now.”

What has Pep said about Cherki’s potential?

Despite the strength of City’s midfield, Guardiola is more than confident that Cherki can play his part, via City’s official website: “He’s a top-class player in small spaces. The vision he has in the final third is unbelievable,” he said. His right and his left foot. We’ll see when he performs. For people up front, it’s a question of numbers and he played 20 minutes and scored a goal. There are a lot of games and everyone will be so important. We’re so happy to have him, he’s just 21 years old.

“He’s a top signing for the potential he has and he is open minded. I don’t have doubts that he will be a top-class player, his quality is exceptional.” Cherki will be fit and available for selection on the other side of the international break, how Guardiola deploys him is going to be a fascinating watch.