Every summer is interesting with respect to the transfer market and Liverpool, but 2022 could be the most intriguing one for quite some time.
Julian Ward is set to take over as Sporting Director from Michael Edwards at a time when the Reds’ squad looks in need of a slight rebuild thanks to key players approaching the end of their contract.
How they go about their business will be fascinating. It has been reported Liverpool will be looking to sign attackers who are aged 25 or under, but how about one who is just 18 years old?
It might be a big ask for the player in question to immediately contribute in the first team, but when he has been labelled as the best talent his club has ever produced, perhaps he can.
READ MORE: Liverpool reject two Nat Phillips bids as defender set for loan recall
READ MORE: Michael Edwards could sign three 'realistic' forwards as Liverpool transfer plan continues
HITC have reported a claim from L’Equipe that Liverpool are looking to sign Rayan Cherki from Lyon. The teenager is supposedly dissatisfied with a lack of game time and is looking to move on.
Cherki has made 13 appearances in Ligue 1 this season, though just two of them were starts and he has one assist to show for his 295 minutes on the pitch.
The French under-21 international is a dream for highlight reel makers though thanks to his remarkable dribbling ability.
He uses flicks and tricks to get away from opponents and can glide past them with ease. While his sample is limited (872 minutes in league and Europe over the last year), his statistics compare with the very best.
Per FBRef, Cherki is in the top four percent of attacking midfielders and wingers for dribbles completed, and the leading one percent for progressive carries (those which progress the ball at least five yards towards the opponent’s goal, or into their box).
He uses the ball well once in dangerous areas too. While his assist rate is impressive, perhaps more important considering his limited game time are his underlying numbers.
Cherki’s excellent expected assist rate of 0.33 per 90 minutes in Ligue 1 and the Europa League over the past 365 days would put him into the top 20 players in league football in England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain for this metric this season.
Or to look at it another way, he’d be neck and neck with Mohamed Salah, who has averaged 0.34 expected assists per 90 in the 2021/22 Premier League.
While he would understandably like to play more often in the league, Cherki has had some good opportunities in Europe.
In November 2019 he became one of the youngest players in Champions League history when he made a substitute appearance in a 2-0 loss to Zenit St Petersburg.
Even more notable, he featured in the semi-final against Bayern Munich the following August, but Cherki has done his best work in the Europa League this season.
With three clear-cut chances created, only seven players are ahead of them in the standings and each one has played more minutes.
The highlight was Lyon’s 3-1 win at Brondby though, as Cherki scored twice after his side had gone behind in the second half.
His first was almost a classic Liverpool goal, much like their third in the recent win over Brentford. Cherki pressed and dispossessed a defender in the penalty box before firing the ball home.
It would be foolish to read too much into comparisons of statistical profiles when one player is being judged on less than 10 full games-worth of playing time, but Statsbomb’s top 10 matches for Cherki is a jaw dropping collection of players.
The group includes Lionel Messi, Neymar and Jack Grealish to name but three. The greatest of all time, the most expensive player in history and the costliest the Premier League has ever seen.
That’s before you add the names Jadon Sancho, Angel Di Maria and Riyad Mahrez into the mix. No pressure, Rayan.
There’s a very long way to go but this kid looks destined for the very top.
