Rayan

Antoine Semenyo is wanted by top clubs, England internationals Bukayo Saka and Kieran Trippier are offered new deals, plus more.

Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo is continuing to attract interest despite signing a new contract in the summer, with Tottenham, Manchester United, Manchester City and Aston Villa all keen on the 25-year-old. (TBRFootball), external

Arsenal are in talks with winger Bukayo Saka, 24, about a new contract which will make him one of the club’s highest-paid players. (Express, external)

Newcastle want to offer former England defender Kieran Trippier a new contract. The 35-year-old’s current deal expires at the end of this season. (Chronicle, external)

Barcelona will wait to make a decision about signing on-loan Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford, 27, on a permanent basis. (Football Insider, external)

Liverpool’s interest in signing Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano, 26, in January could come unstuck with the Bundesliga club keen to tie the France centre-back down to a new contract. (Football Insider, external)

Tottenham, Chelsea and Brighton are interested in Brazilian striker Rayan, 19, who plays for Vasco da Gama. (Sport Witness, external)

Spurs also hold an interest in Real Madrid’s Arda Guler. The 20-year-old Turkey midfielder has struggled to break into the Real starting XI and is also wanted by Newcastle and Arsenal. (Fichajes – in Spanish, external)

Championship clubs Preston, Derby and Hull are interested in signing Brighton’s English winger Tom Watson, 19, on loan in January. (Lancashire Post), external

Cherki is only the latest talent fresh off the Lyon production line, but may be the best yet.

He joined Lyon at the age of seven from AS Saint-Priest and, aged 16 years and 140 days, Cherki became the youngest goalscorer in the Ligue 1 side’s history in a French Cup tie back in January 2020.

Before that in November 2019, a Champions League debut came against Zenit, while he also helped France reach the quarter-finals of the European Under-21 Championships in 2023.

Previously linked with Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea, in 2020 he admitted to Lyon TV “my dream is to play for Real Madrid”.

His footballing idol is Cristiano Ronaldo, can play as a winger but his preference is a more central number 10 role.

Cherki has just enjoyed a break-out campaign in Ligue 1, providing 11 assists, 22 big chances – the most in the league – 13 through-balls and 48 successful dribbles.

A return of 12 goals in all competitions is by far the best of his short career, but it is his work and understanding of the game off the ball that has arguably improved the most this term.

French football expert Julien Laurens, speaking on the Euro Leagues podcast, said: “He has been incredible this season. Since he was 16 – even before that – the talent is there, left foot or right foot.

“A player at this level who takes corners with each foot depending on which side of the corner it is, to be an inswinger every time is just incredible.

“He is one of the greatest technicians in Europe right now.”

The stats support Cherki’s ambipedal qualities. Of the 44 shots he took with his feet in Ligue 1 last season, 22 came with the left and 22 with the right.

Cherki’s growing reputation was only enhanced by Thursday’s stunning international debut on Thursday against Spain, where he sparked France’s comeback from 5-1 down.

Three days later he made his full international debut as Les Bleus beat Germany 2-0 in the Nations League third-place play-off.

Laurens certainly isn’t Cherki’s only admirer.

France legend Thierry Henry has previously said he has “never seen a player in history who dribbles as quickly as him”, while Lyon’s captain Alexandre Lacazette described him as “special”.

The former Arsenal striker added: “This season, he has managed to raise his level. I would put [Mesut] Ozil in a different category but, with time, Rayan can get close to him.”

Cherki, also part of the France squad that finished runners-up at the 2024 Olympics, scored in both legs for Lyon against Manchester United in a Europa League quarter-final defeat last season.

Speaking to BBC Sport in April about him, Lyon’s former Arsenal player Ainsley Maitland-Niles said: “He is the best natural talent I’ve ever seen. An absolute master, a wizard with the ball.

“He is taking chances, assists and dragging us up the pitch by taking people on and nutmegging them – he is a genius.”

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has put Rayan Ait-Nouri at the top of his list to solve his side’s problematic left-back spot.

City have been operating without a specialist left-back since Benjamin Mendy left. He made his last appearance for the club in August 2021.

Oleksandr Zinchenko, Joao Cancelo and Josko Gvardiol are among the players who have had extended stints in the position.

Youngster Nico O’Reilly then filled the role towards the end of last season, including the FA Cup final defeat by Crystal Palace.

However, Guardiola is keen to address the issue this summer and Wolves defender Ait-Nouri is the man he wants.

No agreement is in place yet for the 23-year-old Algeria international but sources are confident it will happen.

Ait-Nouri has been named in Algeria’s squad for their friendlies against Rwanda (5 June) and Sweden (10 June).

City would need to complete the transfer before 10 June in order for Ait-Nouri to be available for the group stage of the Club World Cup.