5 Michael Olise alternatives who Chelsea could pursue

#4. Rayan Cherki

Birthday boy Rayan Cherki, like Kudus, has been linked with Chelsea for most of the summer. Since then however, there’s been complete radio silence on the status of said links. If the club is still interested in the Frenchman, they probably got a good look at him in his appearance against Strasbourg on 13 Aug.

As far as young talent goes, there’s few better in the world right now than Cherki. The Olympique Lyonnais talisman only just turned 20 years old, and is coming off of a season where he recorded four goals and six assists in just 21 starts. Even better is that his underlying playmaking and ball carrying metrics are out of this world.

Chelsea’s project has been clear since the beginning of the summer: stockpile versatile young talent, in order to build the most complete squad possible. Right now, their squad will not be complete without another forward, and more specifically, one that can play all across the front. Cherki can use both feet equally well, which automatically makes him a bigger danger in and around the box than the likes of Raheem Sterling, for example.

As far as 20 year olds go, there’s few better, lest ones on the market, than Cherki. An elite playmaker, he might just be better than Olise anyway.