Former Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott is backing Pep Guardiola to get the most out of summer signing Rayan Cherki as the Frenchman looks to fill voids of the outgoing Kevin De Bruyne and outcast Jack Grealish.
Cherki, 21, signed with Man City for a reported €36 million ($41.1 million) fee from Ligue 1 side Lyon in a move he called “a dream.” The attacker was included in Man City's Club World Cup squad alongside other summer signings Tijjani Reijnders, Marcus Bettinelli and Rayan Aït-Nouri. Reijnders, Aït-Nouri and Cherki represent an agile and intelligent first summer window for Guardiola while Bettinelli should serve as depth behind Ederson and Stefan Ortega. Given Grealish's omittance from the Club World Cup and rumors of a move, Cherki has a big opportunity in front of him.
Lescott sat down with Sports Illustrated at Maxwell Studios' Flavors of Football event in Manhattan to discuss the move.
“I think he'll want to learn from Pep. I think Pep will be excited about his talent, and I think we've seen it a bit with [Omar] Marmoush last season and Phil [Foden] the previous season. He is allowing players to [let] their individual brilliance to shine. I think, yes he does have a structure and system that he wants to play, but he's worked with one of the greatest all time (Messi) and he was able to let him play and run free,” Lescott told SI.
Cherki, while primarily used as a right winger last season for Lyon, has shown immense versatility playing everywhere from center midfield to center forward. Something Guardiola is likely to exploit this summer at the Club World Cup and next season.
“I'm sure [Guardiola] will give the players the freedom and responsibility to be match winners if they're able to produce and that's the key. It's not a case of ‘Let's just go and let Cherki just do whatever he wants, when he wants.’ This is the framework, but once we're within that framework you go and create moments of brilliance.” Lescott said.
Lescott stressed the importance of making sure that talented players must not be coached into instinctive moments, but more put into positions where they can shine.
“Just get players in positions on the field where they operate best. When you have players like that, whether it's Marmoush, Rayan or Phil, you don't teach them how to take someone on. You get them into the area and say ‘This is where we want you to receive the ball, once you receive it, now do what you do.’ That's the beauty of the game when we can create or give players freedom.”
Cherki could make his debut on Wednesday when the Cityzens take on Wydad AC in the FIFA Club World Cup.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Man City Legend Names Key to Unlocking ‘Brilliance’ of Rayan Cherki.
