According to a recent report, Pep Guardiola is urging Manchester City to propose a player swap involving one of his current squad members and a key player from Real Madrid.
Cherki looking to create his own Man City legacy
Manchester City has been active early in the transfer window, signing four new players. Additions include goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli, Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolves, Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan, and Rayan Cherki from Lyon.
With Kevin de Bruyne having departed for Napoli this summer, securing a creative player like Cherki was vital for City. However, the French attacking midfielder emphasized that he is “not De Bruyne” and is focused on “writing his own story” at the Etihad.
`I`m not Kevin De Bruyne; he is the legend. I`m here to help the team and to write my own story. I hope to win all the time with the team.
`When you see Rodri, he won the Ballon d`Or here – it`s clear that with Manchester City it`s possible, and I am here for this.
`When I spoke with Pep, he wanted me – he was very, very clear. Pep told me, `when you have the ball, you are free`, which is very good for me because it`s my first quality to help the team.
`The system, the club, the city is very good. I want to win, and I think Manchester City wants to win it all.`
Pep wants Rodrygo to join Man City overhaul
Cherki might not be the final attacking addition this window. A report from Spain suggests Pep Guardiola is keen for Manchester City to include Jack Grealish in a potential exchange deal for Real Madrid`s Rodrygo.
Grealish`s exclusion from City`s Club World Cup squad indicates his potential departure. Guardiola reportedly believes a move would benefit the Englishman and sees him as a potential makeweight to reduce Rodrygo’s reported £84 million valuation.
However, the same report notes that Real Madrid has no interest in acquiring Grealish, and manager Xabi Alonso has assured Rodrygo that he remains a crucial player in his future plans.
| Rodrygo`s 24/25 league stats compared to Jack Grealish | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rodrygo | Grealish | |
| Apps | 30 | 20 |
| Starts | 22 | 7 |
| Goals | 6 | 1 |
| xG | 4.0 | 1.1 |
| Goals per 90 | 0.28 | 0.12 |
| Assists | 6 | 1 |
| xAG | 3.0 | 1.8 |
| Assists per 90 | 0.23 | 0.12 |
| Progressive carries | 113 | 69 |
Grealish, on a reported £300,000-a-week wage at City, is attracting interest from clubs like Newcastle United and Aston Villa, with Newcastle currently considered the frontrunners for his signature.
In contrast to Rodrygo, Grealish made only 20 Premier League appearances last season, scoring once and providing one assist. Rodrygo, praised as a “magician”, featured in 30 La Liga matches, netting six goals and assisting six others.
