Cherki gets huge praise by Guardiola ahead of Villarreal game, says He doesn’t feel the pressure. He’s like a street player’.
Guardiola full of praise for Manchester City’s ‘huge star’ Rayan Cherki.
Rayan Cherki is one of the most gifted players he has ever seen, according to Pep Guardiola, who trained Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta, and Xavi Hernández. The manager is certain the forward will embrace the Manchester City team culture.
The 22-year-old Frenchman made his comeback from a thigh injury over the weekend. Since joining from Lyon for £30.5 million in time for the Club World Cup in June, he has only featured seven times. After playing five minutes in the team’s 2-0 victory over Everton, when he nearly assisted Erling Haaland on a third goal, he is heading to Villarreal for what would be his Champions League debut.
“Rayan is one of the huge stars I have ever seen in my career,” Guardiola said, puffing out his cheeks. “Technically and individually he is top. The question is how he settles and what we are going to do, how he reads the game and every action the game needs. He started at the [Club] World Cup, but then there was some time off. [We have to go] step by step, but the talent he has: I have the feeling that most of the time when the ball comes to him, the situation gets better.
“Not all the time he has to play, like, make exceptional things, he has to play just football. But he has something. [Such as] the pass for Erling in the last moment [against Everton], many, many things that he can do.
“He is a guy that doesn’t feel the pressure when is going to get the ball. He’s like a street player. He is grumpy – ‘give me the ball, give me the ball’ – when he doesn’t get the ball, you know. He has been a short time here; it will take a bit of time because you have to play with your [team]mates.”