Three Manchester City stars tipped for potential loan transfers to Lyon | OneFootball

Manchester City’s agreement with Lyon over Rayan Cherki will feature a player heading in the opposite direction on a season-long loan spell for the 2025/26 season.

Cherki is set to become City’s third signing of a 10-day transfer window that will shut on Tuesday evening, after agreeing a fee with Lyon for the 21-year-old France international, who scored and provided an assist on his senior international debut against Spain.

Manchester City announced the signing of left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolves on Monday and are expected to announce the arrival of AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders on Tuesday, with the Netherlands international passing a medical over the weekend.

Chelsea goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli will also be joining forces with Pep Guardiola, but it remains to be seen whether the 33-year-old can be signed and registered ahead of the transfer deadline in order to be in contention for the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.

With Kevin De Bruyne told to find a new club for next season, Rayan Cherki represents arguably the most important piece of Manchester City’s summer transfer business and there is reason to be excited about the young midfielder’s arrival.

Cherki lit up the UEFA Nations League semi-final last week when he came off the bench to make his senior debut for France in their 5-4 defeat against Spain, scoring a sumptuous half-volley from distance and providing a pin-point assist for Randal Kolo Muani late on.

Manchester City had previously identified Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz as their preferred replacement for Kevin De Bruyne but the Germany international chose to join Liverpool for a deal that will likely cost the English champions in excess of €130 million.

City pulled out of the race to sign Wirtz owing to what reports have cited as financial reasons and ahead of Tuesday’s transfer deadline, they have agreed four signings to bolster Pep Guardiola’s options for the Club World Cup and the 2025/26 campaign to follow.

According to the information of Hugo Guillemet and Loic Tanzi for L’Equipe, Lyon have secured themselves one Manchester City player on a one-year loan deal as part of the arrangement that will see Cherki switch to the Etihad Stadium this summer.

The report claims that the French side should be looking for an attacking recruit, and while it is ‘very difficult’ to take Oscar Bobb from Pep Guardiola’s side, the likes of James McAtee and Claudio Echeverri are deemed as ‘possible’.

It is worth noting that McAtee moving on loan remains unlikely as the 22-year-old England U-21 international seemingly has his heart set on a permanent exit from the Etihad to progress his career with regular first-team football, amid interest from several clubs in Germany.

Echeverri was given a shock City debut in the FA Cup final at Wembley when Pep Guardiola overlooked record-signing Jack Grealish for the 19-year-old Argentine – who was tasked to come off the bench help overturn a one-goal deficit against eventual winners Crystal Palace.