Manchester United were heavily linked with Rayan Cherki before he eventually made his move to cross-city rivals Manchester City.
Rayan Cherki was left stunned when he visited Old Trafford last season and Manchester United beat Lyon 5-4 in the Europa League in dramatic fashion.
Despite losing, though, Cherki was compared to Lionel Messi for his performance at the Theatre of Dreams. His technical ability left fans in awe, and interest in his signature ramped up.
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United were considering a move for Cherki in the summer, with Lyon open to selling him for just £25 million.
Cherki was open to joining United, but the Red Devils chose to walk away from the deal and he instead ended up joining Manchester City.
Why Man United avoided Rayan Cherki deal
United’s interest in the French playmaker certainly wasn’t new, in fact United tried to sign Cherki at 15 years old but were warned about his attitude.
Cherki’s attitude problems were raised to United again in the summer, and it is one of the main reasons that Ineos looked elsewhere.
Amorim introduced a new transfer rule at United that put more priority on a player’s attitude and mentality.
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Instead, United went and signed Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, two unproblematic players who have both proven to be great additions to the dressing room.
Cherki has been impressive for City since joining, but there are signs emerging that suggest Ineos made the right decision to walk away.
Rayan Cherki ignored Pep Guardiola command
In Amorim’s first year in charge, he showed zero tolerance to players with attitude. Alejandro Garnacho was shown the door after his Europa League final comments, while Marcus Rashford’s effort in training was criticised and he ended up leaving on loan.
United cannot afford to sign players with poor attitude, and that’s exactly why Ineos were right to avoid Cherki.
After City’s recent win over Nottingham Forest, Cherki admitted that he purposefully ignored manager Pep Guardiola’s instructions.
“I prefer my assist to my goal. I didn’t really listen too much to the coach’s instructions, since he wanted me to stay out wide,” Cherki said. “I felt I needed to move inside, it was the right moment, and I managed to deliver a great pass.”
Amorim has been working hard to help his players learn a new style of play, and Cherki’s comments prove he would have been a disastrous addition to the squad.
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