Romano: Man City confident as talks progress over two major summer targets | OneFootball

Cherki and Reijnders: Man City’s Summer Statement in Motion

Manchester City, a club that plans in cycles and acts with precision, appear to be at it again. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Premier League champions are closing in on two major signings: Rayan Cherki from Lyon and Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan. One young and imaginative, the other sculpted by tactical maturity, both appear to be pieces in Pep Guardiola’s next chessboard overhaul.

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This is not about plugging gaps. This is about preparing for what comes after Kevin De Bruyne, after Bernardo Silva, after the carefully orchestrated wave of possession dominance that made City both admired and envied. Guardiola, as ever, is already thinking a few passes ahead.

Cherki: flair meets function

At 21, Rayan Cherki has the profile of a player who excites, frustrates and bewitches in equal measure. Twelve goals and twenty assists in a season for Lyon speaks of potential realised in bursts, yet his career still remains slightly conceptual. Lyon have decided to sell him this summer, with a contract ticking toward expiry in 2026 and no guarantee of a renewal.

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“Manchester City and OL are in club-to-club talks for Rayan Cherki, deal expected to advance fast next week,” Romano posted on X, the platform formerly known for quieter rumour mill days. The deal, expected to cost in excess of €30 million (£25.3 million), is less a financial gamble than a developmental one.

Internally, Cherki is seen as an alternative to Florian Wirtz, who chose Liverpool instead. That detail is telling: Cherki is not the backup plan, but the variation. In a Guardiola system, unpredictability is no longer chaos but currency. A player like Cherki may thrive where structure meets licence.

Reijnders: the ready-made reinforcement

While Cherki represents promise, Tijjani Reijnders is the ready-now midfielder. A €60 million (£50.5 million) bid has already been submitted to Milan, though the Italian side are holding out for a figure closer to €90 million (£76 million).

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Reijnders was arguably Milan’s most consistent performer in an inconsistent season. With 15 goals and five assists, he combines elegance in possession with direct output. At 26, he is seen as the closest stylistic heir to De Bruyne currently available on the market, though with slightly more restraint and rhythm.

Strategy beyond signings

City’s approach to the market is no longer just about short-term competition. It is cultural, infrastructural, existential. Cherki and Reijnders are not simply reinforcements. They are statements of intent, of renewal, and of evolution.

Guardiola’s City is never content with consolidation. In a club where performance is measured not only in trophies but in trajectory, these moves are calibrated to keep City in perpetual forward motion.