- Rayan Cherki impressing for Man City
- Registered two assists against Chelsea
- Pundits give their take on Frenchman
Rayan Cherki is having a superb opening season at Manchester City, prompting praise from various pundits which includes Manchester United legends.
No Manchester City player is impressing right now quite as much as Rayan Cherki, who helped mastermind a 3-0 victory over Chelsea last Sunday.
The creative genius earned two assists and the way he set up Marc Guehi required the vision and technique of someone who has a vast understanding of the game.
Cherki has become a nailed-on starter in recent weeks and listening to how the pundits are reacting to his performances, it is easy to understand why
Noel Gallagher predicts a bright future for Rayan Cherki
Oasis musician and Man City fan Noel Gallagher has liked what he has seen from Cherki and believes he will go on to become a ‘world superstar’.
🔥 "He's only going to get better & better."
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) April 13, 2026
⭐ "This time next season, he could be a world superstar."
Noel Gallagher raves about #MCFC star Rayan Cherki 👏 pic.twitter.com/JO6mDGmYe3
“It’s his first season, he’s only going to get better and better and better,” Gallagher told talkSPORT.
“He’s pretty good already, but this time next season, he could be a world superstar. He’s just great to watch, he takes the mickey a little bit.
“He winds opposition fans up, and opposition players, and that’s a good thing, I think. He’s the kind of footballer that’ll get kids into football.
“He’s like the Prince Naseem Hamed of football. He’s a show-off and he doesn’t care. He’s cheeky, he winds people up. We love him.”
Paul Scholes says Cherki is not a Pep Guardiola player
Cherki’s starts were less frequent earlier in the season, which ex-Red Devil Paul Scholes reckons could be due to his style of play, rather than his level of quality.
Although Scholes does not see the 22-year-old as Guardiola’s usual type of attacker, he believes he has the necessary skills to make a success of himself in the Premier League.
Cherki shows exactly what Arsenal are missing… 🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/ri7C47WB27
— The Good, The Bad & The Football (@goodbadftblpod) April 14, 2026
He told The Good, the Bad and the Football: “The difference from Arsenal and City now, City have still got a couple of players, they can’t be coached to what they do.
“You look at Cherki yesterday [Sunday]. He’s a million miles away from a Pep Guardiola player, I think. He’s got all the skills, don’t get me wrong, but Pep likes people who are in right positions.
“He isn’t, he goes all over the place, but he’s got that freedom to play now.”
Rio Ferdinand calls Cherki a breath of fresh air
Like Scholes, Rio Ferdinand is highly regarded by those on the red side of Manchester, but this has not stopped him from pouring praise on Cherki.
The former United centre-back does not only believe Cherki is helping Man City, but he is bringing the excitement back to football as a whole.
Rayan Cherki is a ’Breath Of Fresh Air’
— Rio Ferdinand Presents (@RioMeets) April 13, 2026
CC: @rioferdy5, @rayan_cherki, #CRAFTD pic.twitter.com/aO0tfiLHSC
He said on Rio Ferdinand Presents: “Rayan Cherki’s looking at the Premier League right now and going ‘what’s all the hype? Like they try [to] call France the farmer’s league, no, no, no.”
“‘Cause I’m coming here, slapping up this league doing kick-ups, taking liberties with the biggest and best teams they’re calling here, and no one can chat to me.’
“I think he’s a breath of fresh air. He’s the maverick type that we’ve been saying has been run out of the game over the last few years,” Ferdinand continued.
“He’s showing no fear and no respect for any opponent and I love it. He makes you sit on the edge of your seat and think ‘what’s he gonna do next’, because I can’t read what he’s going to come with.”
Clinton Morrison agrees with Ferdinand
Speaking on BBC 5 Live, Clinton Morrison has kept the praise of Cherki going, declaring him as one of the best signings any club have made this season.
"He's a super talented individual and he's a joy to watch." ✨@morrisonclinton is a big fan of Rayan Cherki🙌#BBCFootball #ManCity pic.twitter.com/OuzhWEXhCo
— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) April 13, 2026
“Cherki’s a player, he’s like a maverick,” Morrison said. “He’s one of those you pay money to watch.
“And you know what he does, he talks the talk, but he can also walk the walk. I think he’s a fantastic player.
“He’s a super talented individual and a joy to watch, and I think he’d be one of the signings of the season. He’s just going through the gears at the moment, I think he’s fantastic.”
Cherki will want to improve on his Carabao Cup final display this weekend
Clearly Cherki has been outstanding for Manchester City this season, but Nico O’Reilly was the man of the hour last time the Sky Blues played against Arsenal.
During the Carabao Cup final, Cherki only created one chance, recording 0.10 xA and failing to register a shot on target.
In fact, Cherki’s most talked about moment in that game was when he decided to do keepie-uppies, before being wiped out by Ben White.
Since then, the France international has been in fine form and he will be hoping to be the one to heap misery on the Gunners this time around in O’Reilly’s likely absence.
