There are very few clubs in world football that consistently produce top talent from their academies and have them become regular contributors at top clubs. Some of the clubs on the list include AFC Ajax, FC Red Bull Salzburg, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Chelsea, FC Barcelona, and Olympique Lyonnais.
Olympique Lyonnais, in particular, has earned the reputation of producing some of the best talents in France, despite not necessarily reaping many trophies from it.
Since owner and president Jean-Michel Aulas took over in the late 80s, OL has produced talents like Hatem Ben Arfa, Alexandre Lacazette, Nabil Fekir, Samuel Umtiti, Corentin Tolisso, Loïc Rémy, Alassane Pléa, and Anthony Martial. Honing their skills in Lyon, the Groupama OL training center has become the home for many talented youth players across France.
Real Madrid, for example, is one club that’s had the luxury of having success from grabbing one of the best talents from their academy in Karim Benzema. The Frenchman has become an integral cog in their attack since his transfer in 2009, scoring 301 times in 584 games for Los Blancos.
Lyon’s Not-So-Hidden Gem
Looking to potentially follow this trend, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez could look to Lyon once again to prize away another potential superstar in the making.
Rayan Cherki,18, is dubbed as the next star from Lyon’s youth set up to make a move to a big club in the near future.
According to president Jean-Michel Aulas, Real Madrid reportedly had an interest in signing Cherki before he signed a professional contract with Lyon.
Since making his senior debut at 16-years-old against Dijon back in 2019, Rayan’s stock skyrocketed as he became one of the most highly sought-after talents in world football.
After coming onto the scene, the Frenchman not only became the youngest goalscorer in Lyon history but at one point became the youngest anywhere to ever appear in a Champions League knockout match.
“He is a boy who invents things all the time. He creates the unexpected and captivates the attention of everyone: team-mates, coaches, opponents, fans,” Jean-Baptiste Gregoire, who coached Cherki in the Lyon academy, said in an interview.
Following in Benzema’s Footsteps but in the mould of Hazard
Drawing comparisons with Eden Hazard, of Real Madrid, and former OL academy star Hatem Ben Arfa, Cherki mainly operates in the number 10 role as an attacking midfielder, but is also comfortable on both wings. He enjoys having the ball at his feet, having confidence in his ability to manipulate the game at any second.
Always analyzing the field as he attacks defenders with his dribbling and passing, he’s able to navigate tight spaces and create space for his teammates in the final third, similar to the Belgium international. Likewise, the Frenchman has shown that he is not afraid to take a shot on goal when given the opportunity, tallying nine goals at senior level so far.
His game has not only caught the eyes of top clubs but players as well. In 2020, after scoring two goals and notching two assists against Nantes, Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe praised the young Frenchman’s performance with a subtle tweet.
Although he is likened to someone of Ben Arfa’s profile, Cherki has yet to receive any sort of criticism for behavior or work ethic despite his early successes and recognition at such a young age. This bodes well for the Lyon youngster, and for any interested clubs looking to obtain his services, as he continues to increase his play.
For Los Blancos getting someone of Cherki’s age profile, talent, maturity, and fluidity position-wise is undoubtedly needed in Madrid, as they have Modric possibly heading towards the exit after next season and the right-wing position currently lacking quality and depth.
Luckily for Madrid, Rayan Cherki has gone on record saying he believes that the perfect path in his career would be to make history with his current club and then have success elsewhere, like Spain.
"“We all know the club of my dreams is Real Madrid. To join the biggest club in the world would be great.”"
If Cherki does end up in the Spanish Captial, he will join a list of former Lyon players, like Karim Benzema, to represent Los Blancos and France, with eyes on duplicating their successes too.