Tottenham Hotspur right winger Dejan Kulusevski has been a key player for the club since joining from Juventus in 2022, but, recently, his inability to take intiative and change important games for Spurs has cast doubt on his long-term viability as a starting winger at the club.
Spurs are now interested in a right winger who could replace Kulusevski, as he is also capable of playing in the attacking midfield. According to a report from Le Parisien's Benjamin Quarez, Tottenham have made an approach for Lyon star Rayan Cherki and could sign the Ligue 1 superstar for just 22.5 million euros
Cherki is a phenomenal talent and was earmarked as the next big thing in French football by both Lyon and Real Madrid, whose manager Zinedine Zidane was enamored by the player as a potential signing in 2019. Real Madrid were seriously interested in him for years but never had the space to make a move official.
Rayan Cherki could change games for Tottenham
Lyon have played their cards right with Cherki, never rushing the young playmaker and working with him on his weaknesses. Now, they have the best playmaker in Ligue 1 both as a passer and dribbler. Cherki has scored eight goals with ten assists this season, averaging 2.4 key passes and 1.5 dribbles completed per game.
Compare that to seven goals and four assists on the season for Kulusevski with two key passes and 1.2 dribbles completed per game for the Swedish international. But Cherki does so much more that goes beyond the numbers in terms of his individual skill. He can create goals and opportunities from nothing with sheer invention, and anyone who watches him play can tell he has that something special that Spurs are still missing in attack.
Tottenham need difference-makers, and Cherki is one a few players in world football who fits that profile in terms of having that extra bit of magic in his boots. Kulusevski is a very good footballer, but he's more of a role player than a star. He's someone who helps keep a team afloat with solid ball progression and decent chance creation, but he doesn't have the skill or explosiveness to take games over. Cherki does.
At less than 25 million euros, Cherki is easily within the Tottenham transfer budget. If he even has any inclination of joining Spurs, Daniel Levy and Co. have to proceed with 100 percent force, even if it means Kulusevski is relegated to the bench on Cherki's arrival - or even outright transfer listed by his own request. Tottenham should have both players in the squad in an ideal world, but Kulu's presence future clearly shouldn't be what keeps Spurs from going hard after Cherki's talent.