Premier League club to rival PSG in bid to sign 19-year-old Ligue 1 star - Reports

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) face competition from Premier League club Newcastle United for Olympique Lyon attacker Rayan Cherki, according to L'Equipe (h/t Get French Football News).

Les Parisiens prioritized signing Cherki after selling Pablo Sarabia to Wolverhampton Wanderers for €5 million in the January transfer window. They made a push to acquire the attacker from Ligue 1 rivals Lyon towards the end.

PSG stepped up their interest in the France Under-21 international with an official bid but to no avail. Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas quickly clarified that Les Gones had no plans to sell the attacker, saying:

"Rayan (Cherki) is a child of the club who is part of our project, seeing him courted is normal and makes us proud of our academy too, but having him with us is much more important than anything."

The Parisians eventually failed in their efforts to bring in a replacement for Sarabia, with a loan deal for Chelsea's Hakim Ziyech also falling through. Christophe Galtier's side, nevertheless, intend to rekindle their interest in Cherki at the end of the season.

Facing rejection from Lyon in January has not stopped the Parc des Princes from retaining their interest in the 19-year-old. According to the aforementioned source, PSG's football advisor Luis Campos remains a huge admirer of the player.

The Ligue 1 champions are touted to make another approach for Cherki this summer. However, they could face stiff competition from other clubs, with ones from England and Germany said to be monitoring the teenager.

Premier League side Newcastle are among the clubs keeping tabs on Cherki, as per the report. The Magpies are said to have made inquiries for the attacker in the winter transfer window too.

It's unclear whether Cherki would be open to a move to Tyneside, but Newcastle's interest could, nevertheless, be bad news for the Parisians. Interest from England could prompt Lyon to increase their asking price.

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How has PSG target Rayan Cherki fared for Lyon?

Ryan Cherki rose through the ranks at Lyon before making his senior debut in their goalless Ligue 1 draw against Dijon FCO in October 2019. He has since made 92 appearances across competitions for Les Gones, bagging 13 goals and 14 assists.

The Frenchman is contracted to the Ligue 1 club till 2025, having signed a new deal last August. His contract will be extended by another 12 months if he makes six more starts for Laurent Blanc's side before the end of the season.