Chelsea are preparing to make an opening offer for Lyon wonderkid Rayan Cherki as they seek a replacement for Christian Pulisic, sources have told ESPN.
Pulisic is closing in on a move to AC Milan, with the United States midfielder due to undergo a medical with the Serie A giants in the next 24 hours, ESPN reported Tuesday.
And Chelsea are already moving to replace Pulisic, with Cherki one of the targets. Elye Wahi, the talented Montpellier centre-forward, is also on the London club’s shortlist.
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Cherki, who was born in Lyon and is a product of the club’s youth system, is valued at around €40 million and is under contract until June 2025 after an automatic one year extension was triggered in April when he reached 15 Ligue 1 starts.
His wages were automatically increased at the time, too, and he currently earns €75,000-a-week gross.
French champions Paris Saint-Germain had an offer for Cherki rejected by Lyon in January but Lyon were open to a sale. Lyon’s recent troubles adhering to France’s financial fair play rules over next season’s budget means they may be forced to let some players go if they want to make signings this summer.
