Liverpool and Chelsea target prefers to play in Spain; La Liga club express interest in signing him: Reports

Olympique Lyonnais forward Rayan Cherki, who has lately attracted attention from Liverpool and Chelsea, is reportedly interested in continuing his career in Spain.

Cherki, 21, has emerged as a potential target for Liverpool and Chelsea after Lyon were handed a provisional relegation by France’s financial regulatory body. He has reportedly been earmarked as a top winter target for both the Merseyside club and Enzo Maresca's outfit.

However, according to Spanish news website El Nacional, Cherki is keen to ply his trade in Spain as he is aiming to follow former Lyon star Nabil Fekir's footsteps. As a result, La Liga side Real Betis have recently expressed an interest in signing the left-footed attacker.

Cherki, whose Lyon deal will expire in June 2026, could opt to snub both Liverpool and Chelsea as Fekir used to play for Real Betis. He could emerge as a starter for the Spanish team should he decide to join them.

So far, Cherki has started 74 of his 152 appearances across competitions for Lyon. He has found the back of the net 19 times and provided 28 assists for his boyhood club, whose debts amount to over £422 million.

Fekir, on the other hand, left Lyon to join Real Betis in the summer of 2019 prior to leaving them earlier this August. The 31-year-old registered 29 goals and as many assists in 165 total games for the La Liga outfit.

Liverpool legend reveals why Romeo Lavia is a better option than Enzo Fernandez at Chelsea

During a recent interaction on ESPN FC, Liverpool great Steve Nicol asserted that Romeo Lavia is a better partner to Moises Caicedo than Enzo Fernandez. He said (h/t X/@Blue_Footy):

"Well, he complements Caicedo. You know the problem with Enzo. Enzo doesn't get around the field very well, certainly not what you should at the top end of the Premier League, and that's the biggest thing for me. With Caicedo, he's now got somebody else who's working with him, instead of trying to do it all on his own."

Lavia, 20, has started the Blues' last four league outings alongside Caicedo in a 4-2-3-1 system. Fernandez, on the other hand, has played just 97 minutes in his last four league matches for the west London outfit.

Since arriving from Southampton in a potential £58 million deal last summer, Lavia has made just eight appearances across competitions for Chelsea. He has started five of them and contributed one assist so far.