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Rayan Cherki has said he is waiting for Manchester City to play Manchester United next season so he can “kill” his new team’s fierce rivals.
Cherki was part of the Lyon team that endured a 7-6 aggregate defeat by United in the Europa League quarter-finals this past season, the 21-year-old making a rude gesture towards the home fans after scoring at Old Trafford to give Lyon a 5-4 lead.
The forward signed for City in a £30.5m deallast week and – in the lead-up to his first game for the club, against the Moroccan side Wydad on Wednesday – he was asked if his provocative act has already made him popular with the City fans. “Yes,” the 21-year-old said. “I didn’t like it when Manchester United won the game because I’m a Lion [a Lyon player]. And now I wait for the game to kill them.”
Cherki can operate as a wide-right player or a No 10 and will be one of the players Pep Guardiola asks to fill the void left by Kevin De Bruyne. But the Frenchman said: “I’m not Kevin De Bruyne – he’s the legend. I’m here to help the team and take it game after game and I hope I win all the time with the team. Pep told me he loves the No 10 position, but now I am ready to play all positions on the pitch – it’s not complicated, I just want to play.
“I spoke with Pep about my position and we spoke about what I enjoy when I’m on the pitch. It’s very good for me. Pep told me: ‘When you have the ball, you are free,’ which is good because it’s my first [best] quality to help the team.”
Cherki explained why he signed for City. “When I spoke with Pep he was very clear – about the [playing] system, the club, the city. And I want to win and I think Manchester City wants to win it all. For me that’s good.”
The Frenchman has said that one personal ambition is to claim the Ballon d’Or and he pointed to the fact a Manchester City teammate is the holder of the award as an inspiration. “When you see how Rodri won the Ballon d’Or here, it’s clear that with Manchester City it’s possible to do so and I am here for this,” he said.
After playing Wydad at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Field on Wednesday, they face Al Ain and Juventus in their other Group G games. Cherki said: “I’m ready for this because I want to win all of the competitions – and it’s very good to play the first [revamped] Club World Cup in history.”
