Chelsea have already bolstered their attacking options by securing the signings of Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson this summer and now Mauricio Pochettino is aiming to add some more quality to his midfield as the club are interested in Lyon starlet Rayan Cherki.

What’s the latest on Rayan Cherki to Chelsea?

With Christian Pulisic set to depart the Blues this summer, Lyon emerged as a team who were interested in signing the American, even making a superior bid compared to AC Milan, yet it appears he looks set to join the Italian outfit.

According to 90min, Chelsea used the opportunity to ‘voice their interest’ with regard to potentially making a move for Cherki during the transfer window, with the club seemingly following the youngster for a long time.

In a report last month, Lyon set a €50m (£43m) price tag for Cherki in the hopes that this would spark a bidding war between Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United, however, it appears as though the west London outfit may now beat both clubs to his signature.

Who is Rayan Cherki?

The Stamford Bridge side scored just 38 goals in 38 Premier League matches last term, with only four teams scoring fewer, hence why the onus is on Pochettino to significantly bolster the team's chances of scoring a lot more during 2023/24 if they have any ambitions of winning silverware.

Cherki may just be 19 years old, yet he is beginning to turn into one of the finest attacking midfielders on the continent judging by his statistics across a range of attacking metrics, as per FBref.

Indeed, across Europe’s big five leagues, the Frenchman ranks in the top 3% for shot-creating actions per 90 (6.15), the top 1% for successful take ons per 90 (3.8) and the top 4% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 (6.78), clearly demonstrating his ability to burst into the opposition box on a regular basis, creating plenty of shooting chances in the process.

He could certainly be a talent that shines should he join Chelsea, with Lyon expert Nicholas Mamo waxing lyrical about the youngster, saying: "[Cherki is a] very creative and unpredictable attacking midfielder.

"Cherki is the type of player you give the ball to when your team is looking for a last-minute winner.

"He is the best player from Lyon's academy in a very long time, maybe since [Karim] Benzema. The fans will react poorly [if he is sold], although the extent of it will depend on the price.”

Chelsea have enjoyed dipping into the French market over the years and one of their finest signings under the successful Jose Mourinho era was Michael Essien – also lured from Lyon in 2005 on a £24.4m deal – and there is no reason why Cherki couldn’t follow in his footsteps.

The Ghanian emerged as one of the finest talents at the French side during their near decade of dominance during the early years of the 21st century before moving to England, eventually making 258 appearances for the Blues.

Although not quite as established as Essien when he joined the club, Cherki is a promising asset who could explode under the right manager and having been hailed as a “magnificent talent” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, he could be a wise investment by Pochettino that’s for sure.