Real Madrid target Rayan Cherki, €110M transfer in sight

Real Madrid have reportedly placed Rayan Cherki on their radar, viewing Manchester City’s legal troubles as a market opportunity, according to specialist outlet Fichajes.

Manchester City face 114 alleged breaches of Premier League financial regulations. The potential sanctions — recruitment bans, points deductions, or even Championship relegation — have plunged the club into uncertainty that Florentino Pérez appears intent on exploiting. The Madrid president is said to have identified Cherki as the priority target in this context.

Real’s interest in the French international is not new. The former Lyon player’s name had already circulated in Madrid during Zinédine Zidane’s time on the bench. Today, it is his creativity and technical quality that are said to appeal to the Merengue hierarchy, convinced that his profile would bring a new dimension to Madrid’s play.

The deal remains expensive nonetheless. According to Transfermarkt estimates, a transfer on the horizon of 2027 or 2028 would reach at least €110 million. Cherki is also presented as an alternative to Michael Olise, whom Real Madrid are targeting for the next summer transfer window.

While Erling Haaland would not feature among Madrid’s priorities — Kylian Mbappé and Endrick already occupying the attacking sector — Cherki’s profile would meet a different need, that of a playmaker capable of orchestrating midfield. The matter remains at the monitoring stage for now, with no formal offer reported.