Latest news with #Lyon
Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Man City make £34m move for Rayan Cherki as Man Utd target decides on transfer
Rayan Cherki is generating plenty of interest from top clubs after his incredible season saw him score 12 and assist 19 in all competitions, with Manchester City becoming the leading favourites to sign him Manchester City have emerged as favourites to sign Lyon star Rayan Cherki this summer, with the midfielder eager to link up with Pep Guardiola 's men, according to reports. Cherki has become one of Europe's hottest properties after a stellar season in Ligue 1. The 21-year-old enjoyed an incredible season, scoring 12 goals and assisting 19 in all competitions, and with Lyon only mustering a sixth-placed finish he is now being tipped for a move to a top European club. Manchester United were previously tipped as a destination for Cherki, after watching him score twice against them in the Europa League this season. But after missing out on European football, a move to their rivals City looks more likely. According to French outlet Foot Mercato, a move to City is "accelerating" for Cherki - who was voted in the Ligue 1 team of the season following his sparkling creative displays. The report states City "appreciate" Cherki's talents and see him as an ideal replacement for the outgoing Kevin de Bruyne. Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz was previously a big target for City, but Bayern Munich and Liverpool have now jumped to the front of the queue. Cherki's preference is to play in the No 10 role - which is where City would want to play him, it goes on. The Sky Blues are now ramping up talks with the player's team and are "very confident" over a deal. The boyhood Lyon star has given the thumbs up over moving to the Etihad and is excited about the prospect of playing under Guardiola, who he has already spoken to - the report claims. Cherki wants to sort his future out as quickly as possible in a deal that could earn Lyon around £34m - though he does have a release clause of £25m. Cherki has a contract at Lyon that runs until next summer He has hinted he could have played his final game for Lyon after admitting he has "done everything I could" for the club, saying it will "always be in my heart". "I don't know," he said when asked about his future. "In any case, I know I've given my all for the club. I've done everything I could for OL, because it's a club I'll never forget, one that will always be in my heart. "I stayed when a lot of players left. Today, I have no regrets. Whatever happens, I'll give my all to the last minute for the club. I've only got OL on my mind, and I'd never call on anyone else." Cherki joined Lyon aged six and began playing for its reserve team at the age of 15. He became the first team's youngest ever scorer at 16 in 2020 and has gone on to make 185 appearances, scoring 29 times.
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Man City 'make Rayan Cherki swoop a priority and will submit bid next week' as they look to stave off interest in bargain forward from Premier League rivals
Manchester City have made their swoop for Rayan Cherki a priority and will submit a bid next week as they look to fend off rival Premier League interest, reports claim. Cherki, 21, confirmed he will leave Lyon this summer and a host of clubs are eyeing up a move, believing he has a release clause in his contract worth around £20million. City initially mounted a charge to sign Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Florian Wirtz before ruling out a move, citing the exorbitant amount of money needed to seal the deal, but Pep Guardiola has now turned his attention to the talented Cherki. After catching the eye during his final campaign in France, and scoring 12 goals across all competitions, Cherki was reportedly shortlisted by the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham - but City have looked to steal a march. According to L'Equipe, Cherki is now City's No 1 target and a bid is imminent. Reports in France prematurely claimed France international Cherki had already reached an agreement with City, but this is believed to be wide of the mark. Guardiola has not yet spoken with Cherki but has already been in contact with people familiar with the forward, including former Lyon boss Pierre Sage. City are keen to wrap up the signing before the Club World Cup, which begins on June 15 in the United States, and will follow up their interest with an official offer. The club will rebuild their squad during the summer window. Kevin De Bruyne will leave on a free transfer, and looks bound for Napoli, while Jack Grealish's future is uncertain after he was left out of the squad for the final day victory over Fulham. Cherki, an attacking midfielder and winger by trade, joined Lyon in 2010 and spent nine years in their academy before making his senior debut in 2019, aged just 16. However, Lyon have been dogged by crippling financial issues and were slapped with a transfer ban and provisional relegation to Ligue 2 in January with debts of £424m. Cherki has made 185 appearances for Lyon, scoring 29 goals. As reported by Mail Sport, City are eyeing up a £55m deal for AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders and hold interest in Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White. Meanwhile, Pep Lijnders, Jurgen Klopp's former assistant at Liverpool, has agreed to join Guardiola's coaching staff and will start work ahead of the Club World Cup.
CNA
8 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- CNA
Gaia Series 88: Fight for "the best in the gastronomic world"!
Japan's top young chef leads a determined culinary team to the Bocuse d'Or, facing fierce global rivals and unrelenting pressure. In the heart of Lyon, a city synonymous with haute cuisine, the world's most prestigious culinary tournament, the Bocuse d'Or, ignites fierce competition every two years. Dubbed the World Culinary Cup, it gathers 24 top teams, each having survived gruelling national qualifiers to earn their place in what is often likened to the Olympics of gastronomy. This year, all eyes are on Japan's representative, 31-year-old sous-chef Ryuya Kainuma, as he carries the hopes of a nation that has yet to clinch the coveted crown. Kainuma, originally from Niigata, works at Sens et Saveur, a high-end French restaurant on the 35th floor of the Marunouchi Building in Tokyo. He has spent 10 years honing his culinary skills and emerged as Japan's contender after winning the domestic qualifier in November 2023. 'To me, competing globally through food is so awesome,' he says. 'To have world-famous chefs taste my food is the kind of opportunity this competition offers.' He is joined by 22-year-old commis chef Minami Fujita. 'There's a lot of pressure. I mean, I'm representing Japan,' she says during preparations. 'I'm carrying Japan on my back.' Their pairing has been described as the 'strongest Team JAPAN in history,' a testament to the talent, ambition and depth of support backing their campaign. Despite its longstanding involvement in the contest since 1987, Japan has only made it to the podium once, in 2013, finishing third. The stakes today extend beyond the kitchen, with a potential win likely to bolster Japan's international culinary reputation and drive inbound tourism. 'It's become a competition to attract inbound tourists,' says Hajime Yoneda, who serves as Team JAPAN's head coach and previously judged the competition. 'Winning at a global culinary competition like the Bocuse d'Or could become one of the factors people use to decide where to go.' Under Yoneda's guidance, Kainuma trains rigorously. He travels to Osaka to experience three-star service at Yoneda's own restaurant, HAJIME, which earned its Michelin status in just one year and five months. 'Through my experience at a three-star restaurant, I rediscovered the passion I had in my youth,' says Kainuma. 'Cooking for the customer's delight. That's the heart of my job.' He adds, 'I don't see them as judges anymore. To me, they're guests I'm serving food to.' Assisting the team are prominent chefs such as Noriyuki Hamada, who led Japan's 2013 bronze-winning campaign, and Tetsuya Asano, already named Japan's representative for 2027. They also receive support from Kenichiro Sekiya of Joel Robuchon and Kotaro Hasegawa, who placed sixth in 2007. However, funding remains a concern. 'The members of Team JAPAN are participating without pay,' the programme notes, a contrast to Denmark, where the national team trains with a budget of ¥100 million (S$860,000) and receives salaries and housing. Japan's theme for the large meat platter is 'The Connection of Life,' which incorporates forest elements. The design is led by Yuji Tokuda of Canaria, a multi-award-winning designer. However, the first tasting of the meat dish, which includes venison and foie gras wrapped in pastry, ends poorly. 'Personally, I think it's close to zero,' says Yoneda. 'You really need to work out what refinement means or you won't be able to reach the top ranks.' Kainuma acknowledges the challenge. 'I don't think there's such a thing as 'complete' in this,' he says. 'When cooking, you always think, 'Maybe I could take it further.' Bit by bit, you level up.' As the final competition nears, the team relocates to Vaux-en-Beaujolais, an hour from Lyon, for a two-week training camp. Simulated time trials initially run two hours over the official limit. Romain Barthes, the local restaurant's chef, notes, 'The pie crust is too thick and loses its delicacy.' But adjustments pay off. Fujita uses multiple timers to manage overlapping tasks. Kainuma refines the fish dish, using sesame and other elements to improve both look and flavour. 'We're back on schedule, so no need to rush,' he says. 'We're totally fine.' The final time trial is a success. 'This was the first time it truly looked and tasted like a proper dish,' he says with visible relief. On 25 January, the Bocuse d'Or opens with much fanfare. Japan begins cooking at 8am. Thirty minutes in, their sous vide machine breaks. 'Oh no!' Kainuma exclaims, quickly directing his team to boil water manually. 'You can add the apples now,' he instructs. The delay puts them ten minutes behind schedule, but the fish dish is completed on the dot. Judges praise its taste and presentation. 'Beautiful fluffy lobster sauvignon. Very, very, very tasty.' The meat dish, which evokes a forest scene, is also completed within the limit. When the results are announced, Sweden takes third place and Denmark second. France's Paul Marcon, son of 1995 champion Regis Marcon, claims first, making them the first parent-child pair to win the title. Japan places 11th overall. However, their fish dish ranks fourth, beating Denmark's, with 787 points. The meat dish scores 700 due to issues with temperature control before serving. 'It's frustrating,' Kainuma admits. 'But thanks to the advice I received from so many chefs, I now think about cooking from all kinds of angles.' He adds, 'My goal is still three Michelin stars. So I'll start again from scratch and learn a lot.'
Metro
11 hours ago
- Business
- Metro
Man City ready bid to sign £34m star ahead of Man Utd and Liverpool
Manchester City are preparing an initial bid to sign Lyon midfielder Rayan Cherki ahead of Manchester United and Liverpool, according to reports in France. Cherki is on the radar of several top European clubs after an impressive season which saw the Frenchman score eight times and provide 20 assists in all competitions. The 21-year-old has a contract with Lyon until 2026, but has signalled his intention to leave the club in the summer transfer window. Several Premier League clubs, including Liverpool and Tottenham, are among Cherki's admirers, while United have also been credited with interest. But Foot Mercato now suggest that City will make the first move to try and wrap up a deal for Cherki and could submit a first bid as early as next week. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link so we can send you football news tailored to you. The report adds that the club have made Cherki their 'priority' signing in the attacking midfield position as they look to replace Kevin De Bruyne following his departure at the end of the season. Pep Guardiola is also said to be keen on the move and has already spoken to people close to the player, including former Lyon boss Pierre Sage. Direct talks between Guardiola and Cherki have not taken place, but are expected to soon as City ramp up their efforts to sign the midfielder before the Club World Cup. City had initially set their sights on signing Florian Wirtz this summer, but later pulled out of the race due to concerns over the cost of a deal. Liverpool now look to be in pole position to complete a deal for the highly talented German midfielder having submitted a £109m bid to Bayer Leverkusen. A deal for Cherki, however, is likely to be far less expensive given the Frenchman has just over 12 months left on his contract. More Trending Reports earlier in the year suggested the 21-year-old has a £19m release clause in his contract, but those suggestions appear to be untrue. Lyon, instead, will hope to recoup a fee of around €40m (£33.7m) for Cherki. Elsewhere, City are looking for further reinforcements in central midfield negotiations with AC Milan over a deal for Tijjani Reijnders. Milan are seeking a fee of close to £60m for the Dutch midfielder who has impressed greatly in Serie A this season. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: Man Utd star retires from football to become third major departure at Old Trafford MORE: Barcelona considering shock move for key Arsenal star in summer transfer window MORE: Bruno Fernandes' classy gesture for 'fuming' Man Utd squad in Asia revealed
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Paulo Fonseca's touchline ban to be upheld
A press release from Olympique Lyonnais suggests that Paulo Fonseca's nine-month touchline ban will be upheld by the authorities, despite an appeal. Fonseca was handed a nine-month ban for confronting referee Benoît Millot in the dying moments of Olympique Lyonnais' 2-1 victory over Stade Brestois in March. The suspension handed down by the LFP means that the Lyon manager is banned from the touchline until November 30. The Portuguese manager is even banned from entering the dressing room before, during and after the game, until September 15th. Advertisement Lyon were critical of the LFP's ban for Fonseca, appointed at the end of January and stated that they would appeal. OL had been set to make their appeal through the LFP. However, it was instead made through the Comité National Olympique du Sport Français (CNOSF) in order to find a mediation. However, during the appeal, which took place towards the end of the Ligue 1 campaign, Fonseca was not given the chance to defend himself, something he is frustrated about. As a result, he was not confident that the ban would be overturned. OL have now denounced the procedure, stating that the authorities 'refused to engage in discussion'. The communiqué, therefore, suggests that they have been made aware of the failure of the appeal. Fonseca, therefore, will start next season once again far from the touchline and from the dressing room. GFFN | Luke Entwistle
