Pep Guardiola believes Rayan Cherki is a "special" player. At the age of 22, the French attacking midfielder has been compared to Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne, but his connections with Lionel Messi have made the Manchester City coach cautious.
Having joined Man City from Lyon for £34 million, Cherki is emerging as one of the strong candidates for the rookie title of the season. Recent performances show that he has quickly made a clear impact in the squad being rebuilt by Guardiola.
After scoring from the edge of the box against Brentford, Guardiola praised his player: "In the area near the opponent's penalty area, he was an excellent player. It was a great goal. I've seen that with Phil and Kevin before."
However, the Spaniard has not hidden his reservations, especially as Cherki is often compared to Messi - the greatest symbol he has ever led.
"I have never seen Messi do things like that. Messi's biggest strength is simplicity. The simple things he does are perfect. Rayan is a great talent, but he needs to learn that. He's still very young," Guardiola said, referring to improvised moves like Cherki's cross tobona for Foden against Sunderland.
The above-mentioned save quickly attracted attention and was considered one of the most beautiful assists of the season. But for Guardiola, beauty does not always mean efficiency.
"I want the players to do the simple things well. Then, if they have special talent, they can do anything. But if it doesn't work, they're in trouble," he stressed.
Cherki is not a strange name in Europe. He made his first-team debut for Lyon at the age of 16 and has played 185 times for France. Last season, the midfielder scored 12 goals and had 20 assists after 44 matches, showing that he is ready to step up a higher level in his career.
At the Etihad, Cherki quickly integrated. After a six-week break with a thigh injury, he has provided six assists in six Premier League starts. Playing flexibly in the No. 10 or right wing, Cherki possesses the ability to play well with both feet, making him unpredictable for the opponent's defense.
Guardiola described his student: "Rayan has his unique quality. Sometimes you love him, sometimes you are uncomfortable with him, but he is really special. The calmness, personality and tempo he brings us help us play better in the attack area."
Cherki's ability to lead the ball does not rely on pure speed but comes from balance and sophistication. A typical example was Foden's assist against Crystal Palace, when he crossed the midfield before making a decisive pass.
In addition to his expertise, Cherki's personality also quickly won the hearts of Man City fans. After scoring against Brentford, he imitated Erling Haaland's robotic and meditation celebration. "I love my team, I love this club" Cherki shared. "I am very happy to be here."
Cherki's appearance also helps reduce the pressure on Haaland, while helping Foden regain his form in recent matches. However, Guardiola has yet to see him as a complete player. Cherki was substituted in the 66th minute against Brentford for failing to meet the defensive requirements.
"If he is like this after 5 months at Man City, imagine how he will be after 5 years. But here, he has to do what the team needs. When he can do that, he will have many years to play for this club" - Guardiola said.
