Rayan Cherki hits out at critics over negative comments amid Manchester City interest | OneFootball

Manchester City target Rayan Cherki has hit back at critics over comments surrounding his native approach to the game, as a move to the Etihad Stadium nears completion.

The 21-year-old has quickly emerged as the number one target for Manchester City bosses over the last few days as they look to bolster their creative midfield ranks amid the pending departure of Kevin De Bruyne.

With the Belgian’s contract expiring at the end of June, officials at the Etihad Stadium took the difficult decision not to offer the 33-year-old an extension, allowing him to leave the club on a free transfer and perhaps remain at the top of European football with Napoli keen.

Manchester City’s search for an able replacement for arguably their greatest-ever player has been somewhat challenging, and attentions were first drawn towards Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz before concerns over the level of finance required forced the club to walk away.

Similar reporting has pointed towards Barcelona’s Dani Olmo as a possibility for Hugo Viana and colleagues, but ultimately it has been Lyon’s Rayan Cherki that has checked most boxes for officials weighing up a decision on who to sign.

In the background of all the reporting concerning a move for the highly-talented France international, there have been some concerns and murmurs over a perceived temperament issue with the player – talk that he himself has been keen to shut down.

Speaking in a new interview with French newspaper L’Equipe, Rayan Cherki has hit back at those who believe he is a player ‘difficult to coach’ due to his approach and mentality towards the game, as a move to Manchester City remains expected for this summer.

“People don’t know me very well, otherwise I’d be less criticised. When people really get to know me, more than a few are surprised,” Cherki insisted.

“They hear things people sometimes try to make up and realise they’re not true. I don’t feel like describing myself – that’s not my role,” he added. “People who know me are best to do that.”

The 21-year-old continued, “I’m also talking about everything that’s been made up, all the things people have said about me, my entourage, even though there’s never been any incidents. I’m human, so of course positive and negative things can happen to me.

“People have sometimes said I’m hard to deal with, difficult to coach… That’s not true. I’ve always stayed silent, I’ve never responded. I invite all my critics to name something real. They can think about it for a very, very, very long times.”

Manchester City remain hopeful of welcoming Rayan Cherki to the Etihad Stadium before the start of the FIFA Club World Cup, which commences towards the tail-end of this month with an opportunity to sign players for the competition until June 10.