Real Madrid, Barcelona to compete for scary-good Lyon prospect?

Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, and Juventus all reportedly have eyes on Rayan Cherki, who looks like the next great attacking player to emerge from Ligue 1.

Florentino Perez always has his eyes closely peeled on up-and-coming superstars around the world, especially attacking players. Real Madrid already have three sensational Brazilian attacking prospects in Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, and Reinier, and the early returns on all three – with Reinier’s being VERY early returns at Castilla – look excellent.

Now, Calciomercato reports that Real Madrid are among the clubs interested in Rayan Cherki, who is a tremendous talent at Lyon.

Cherki has only played 139 minutes in Ligue 1 this season, but he’s already flashed serious skills for the Ligue 1 giants. He has been tremendous in the French Cup, scoring three goals with two assists. In the process, the 16-year-old became the youngest player to ever score for Lyon in an official match.

But Real Madrid aren’t the only powerhouse club with interest in Cherki. Per the report from Calciomercato, Juventus are keen on signing the teenager, while Madrid’s bitter rivals FC Barcelona are also in the mix.

Barcelona and Real are no strangers to competing for a young superstar. Years ago, Barça defeated Real in the race to sign superstar Neymar, while Real have consistently beaten out their arch rivals for the signatures of top prospects. Vinicius Junior, who scored the decisive goal in the most recent Clasico, stands out as an example.

Cherki has a long way to go in his development, but fans in France are already speaking glowingly of Lyon’s next star. Lyon will want to hold onto Cherki for as long as possible, especially since they wouldn’t get fair value if they sold him to a club like Real or Juve in 2020.

However, it’s great to see that Real are already pursuing such a talented player. Cherki has an eye for goal and serious skills on the ball. If his development continues, then Cherki, who could be a great right winger at a club like Real, will become a truly scary attacking player in Ligue 1.

Real Madrid can’t sign every great young player, though, so maybe Cherki would see a club like Juventus as a better option for him to get playing time. But great players have a hard time saying “no” to Real. PSG are figuring that out with Kylian Mbappe. Attackers love the prospect of being a Galactico and joining the tradition of goal-scoring at the Santiago Bernabeu.