Manchester United must act fast before one of their targets’ value skyrockets following his maiden call-up to the French national side.
Manchester United are prioritising attacking reinforcements this summer as they look to add more firepower to Rúben Amorim’s squad.
Goals have been hard to come by throughout the season, with Bruno Fernandes the only player approaching the 20-goal mark. Rasmus Højlund, Alejandro Garnacho, and Amad have all struggled to consistently find the net, each just about reaching double figures.
The club are strongly linked with Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, while a deal for Wolves forward Matheus Cunha is expected to be finalised once the transfer window opens on 1 June.
United are also keeping close tabs on Premier League forwards Antoine Semenyo and Bryan Mbeumo, while Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyökeres remains firmly on their radar.
Cherki called up to France national team
With United scouting the market for value-for-money opportunities this summer and a clear need to enhance the options within Amorim’s 3-4-3 system’s attacking midfield areas, the club has been closely linked with a potential move for Rayan Cherki.
Many outlets have claimed that Cherki is available for around £20-25 million this summer, with Olympique Lyonnais willing to let him leave for a reasonably low fee due to their current financial problems.
However, the 21-year-old forward talent, who impressed scouts during both legs of United’s Europa League quarter-final tie with Lyon, has just received his first call-up for the France national side.
Once a young player receives their first call-up to become a full international for their respective countries, this tends to increase their value and subsequent transfer price.
With Liverpool and Tottenham also among those clubs looking to strike a deal with Lyon for the player, United may have to act fast to secure Cherki for the low fee.
Romano issues Cherki release clause twist
Although many reports have suggested that Cherki’s current contract contains a £25 million release clause, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that this is not a traditional release clause that can be activated by a lump sum.
“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 Lyonnais to get Rayan Cherki.”
Regardless of the inner workings of the release clause, United must press ahead with looking to secure the Frenchman this summer. Letting him go to a Premier League rival would be allowing a different club to pick up a bargain transfer that would otherwise be perfect for Amorim.
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