Fabrizio Romano has confirmed a bizarre change in Rayan Cherki’s release clause after the Manchester United target confirmed he will be leaving Lyon.
Manchester United are aiming to strengthen their attacking lineup in the upcoming summer transfer window after a season plagued by a lack of goals.
The club is prioritizing players with Premier League experience, with Matheus Cunha and Liam Delap among the names being closely monitored.
At the same time, Ruben Amorim’s side is also exploring more budget-friendly options, and Rayan Cherki of Lyon has emerged as a promising target.
Cherki made a strong impression during Lyon’s Europa League tie against United, netting twice across both legs, even though his team was ultimately knocked out in dramatic fashion.
The French starlet finished the season with an impressive 12 goals and 20 assists across all competitions, making him an appealing prospect for a number of top clubs.
Fabrizio Romano confirms bizarre change in Cherki release clause
It has been reported by many outlets that Cherki has a release clause in his Lyon contract which is valued at around £20 million.
However, Fabrizio Romano’s latest update has revealed that Lyon are not working on the assumption that the release clause is active this summer and teams will instead have to agree a separate fee, which will likely be larger.
“My understanding is that we have to forget about the release clause as a traditional clause – so it’s not about going there, put the money [on the table] and get the player – that’s what Borussia Dortmund tried to do in the January window,” Romano explained on his YouTube channel.
“Olympique Lyonnais insist that the clause is not valid, in France the clause is not official, so you need to negotiate with Olympique Leona to get Rayan Cherki.”
It remains to be seen what kind of offer Lyon would accept but it feels unlikely to be much more than the reported release clause fee simply because they are not in a strong bargaining position.
Cherki has already confirmed that he is leaving this summer, and there is just one year remaining on his current deal in France.
Cherki’s stance on Premier League move revealed
United have clear interest in the 21-year-old although it is unclear how much cash they’d be willing to put forward for a deal.
There are various clubs interested in Cherki but Romano also clarified that a Premier League move is a ‘concrete possibility’ for the talented midfielder.
The Italian reporter has explained that Cherki would be open to a move to England’s top flight, following on from reports which claim that his agents have reached out to United.
“My understanding is that not only from Germany but also from England, there is interest in Rayan Cherki and the player could be open to a Premier League move, so that can be a concrete possibility,” Romano added.
Despite the bizarre switch in the story of the release clause, this deal still seems like one which United could do this summer.
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