Real Madrid: 3 things you need to know about transfer target Rayan Cherki
3. Rayan Cherki is a UEFA Youth League standout
Rayan Cherki has played his best football in UEFA’s Youth League. It is no surprise that the most amount of hype created around his name is from the performances in this competition. The UEFA Youth League is the equivalent of the Champions League for the U17 sides. The best youth sides from around Europe lock horns for the highest possible glory in the division. And, Cherki shining at such a stage is great news for Real Madrid.
Cherki started playing as a 15-year-old in the Youth League. In a famous 4-1 victory against Manchester City, Cherki scored a goal that made him the youngest goalscorer of the Youth League then. The best part was Cherki scored within four minutes of entering the pitch in a crucial game. He, however, doesn’t hold the said record with Borussia Dortmund‘s wunderkind Youssoufa Moukoko dethroning him.
Cherki continued his fine form into next season’s Youth League too. He found the net four times before the COVID-19 pandemic sent football to an unprecedented halt. Cherki scored in the opener against Zenit and went on to score one and create one against RB Leipzig. He then went on to score a brace against Benfica, arguably one of the best youth sides before adding another to his tally against Bergamo.
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He holds another unique record regarding UEFA competitions. He is the youngest player to play in the semi-finals of the Champions League. Also, he has had a few highlights in his career so far including a 4-goal contribution outing against Nantes, a performance that attracted reaction from Kylian Mbappe. The trajectory free kick in a game against FC Metz on January 19, 2019, as well as his hat-trick in five minutes against AJ Auxerre, are two such highlights.