One big reason why Chelsea didn’t sign a player who has been dubbed as the next Eden Hazard has been revealed this afternoon.
Chelsea were linked with a number of potential new players in the summer, and some names kept coming back up more often than not. When that happens, it usually means there is some real substance behind the links and Chelsea would have genuinely been interested in signing said player.
The player in question here is Rayan Cherki of Lyon, who is clearly a player full of areal talent and certainly does have some Hazard about him in terms of being able to change a game by himself and playing with such skill, confidence, and flair.
But he has another side to him that may have held Chelsea back, according to French football expert, Jonathan Johnson this week.
20-year-old Cherki has established himself as an exciting prospect, and Johnson has admitted in his exclusive Daily Briefing column that the Frenchman is one of the most talented players Lyon’s academy has ever produced.
“It’s not a happy place to be at the moment,” Johnson said of Lyon. “Rayan Cherki is one name whose future could be in doubt, and there’ll be plenty of European clubs monitoring him and other players because as well as sporting issues on the pitch at the moment there are also real financial difficulties for Lyon.
“A lot of players already wanted to jump ship before the start of the season, and they still could. Cherki will certainly be one to keep an eye on, though I don’t know for sure if Chelsea plan to come back in for him – the Blues had an interest in him in the past, but one problem with him is that clubs are becoming increasingly aware that he has massive attitude problems.
“Cherki doesn’t always conduct himself like he should on the pitch or in training, and there is quite a problematic relationship between the player’s entourage and the club, so that could get in the way of him developing to the best of his ability.”
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