1 week ago
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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola spoke about Rayan Cherki after his return from injury in the Everton game
Pep Guardiola is excited by Rayan Cherki's potential as he looks to incorporate the French talent into his Manchester City side.
Cherki arrived in the summer from Lyon for an initial £30.5m and made an instant impact with a goal off the bench at Wolves on his Premier League debut. However, he was unable to follow that up in a start against Spurs and was then sidelined for six weeks with injury.
In his absence, Phil Foden has rediscovered some of the form that saw him named the Premier League's best player two seasons ago and is driving City's creativity in midfield. Cherki's return could add threaten Foden's minutes, but Guardiola is thrilled by the raw ingredients he has to work with in the France international.
"Everyone can play together," he said. "Rayan is one of the huge talents I have ever seen in my career, technically and individually. He’s top.
"The question is how he settles into what we want to do and how he reads every action that the game needs. Still he started really well at the Club World Cup but he has been off for a few weeks.
"Step by step, but the talent that he has I have the feeling that most of the time the ball comes to him the situation is better. Not all the time he has to do exceptional things, he just has to play football.
"But he has something - the pass for Erling in the last moments and many things. I like that he doesn’t feel the pressure, he’s like a street player and 'give me the ball, give me the ball'.
"He has had a short time here and he needs time. These type of players are so intuitive, they see everything."
Cherki has travelled with City to Villarreal for their Champions League game on Tuesday as part of a 22-man squad.
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