John Textor reveals Rayan Cherki turned down PSG

This summer, PSG was looking to strengthen their attack and considered Rayan Cherki. Although the transfer seemed close to being finalized, the player ultimately changed his mind. John Textor, the president of Olympique Lyonnais, discussed the situation.

Rayan Cherki is one of the most promising young talents at Olympique Lyonnais. The French international has attracted attention from several European clubs, including PSG. Luis Campos has been following him for years and already wanted to sign him in the summer of 2023.

Cherki is also highly regarded by Luis Enrique, which led PSG to make another attempt to secure his signature during the 2024 summer transfer window. Reportedly, Paris and Lyon had reached an agreement for a transfer fee of around €15 million, with only the player’s approval pending.

John Textor reveals Rayan Cherki turned down PSG

While Cherki was on the verge of accepting a move to PSG, he ultimately pulled out, as Borussia Dortmund was also interested. In the end, Cherki chose neither PSG nor Dortmund. Yesterday, John Textor, president of Olympique Lyonnais, addressed the situation in a press conference reported by RMC Sport:

"He’s a great player. Yes, he has helped us win important matches, and I’m sure he can continue to contribute, but when a player turns down PSG... I don’t like the idea of selling to PSG, but I wanted to honor his wish, and it didn’t work out"

During the press conference, Textor also spoke about Olympique Lyonnais’ ambitions and emphasized that while Lyon has potential for growth and a promising future, failing to return to the Champions League or win the league would be considered a failure.

He highlighted the importance of their upcoming matches against PSG, stating that they must win at least one of them. Textor noted that Lyon outperformed PSG in terms of points in the latter half of the previous season and expressed a strong ambition for Lyon to compete effectively in the league and aim for the top spot, despite PSG's strong team.