Pep Guardiola has managed some of the biggest stars in world soccer throughout his career, and now at Manchester City, he continues to work with elite talent. While Erling Haaland has already proven to be a striker destined to define an era, the Spanish coach recently turned his praise toward another City player, calling him “one of the biggest talents” he’s ever seen.
From FC Barcelona to Bayern Munich and now Manchester City, Guardiola has built a reputation as one of the game’s greatest tacticians while coaching legends such as Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski, Sergio Agüero, and Kevin De Bruyne, among others. Although he sees Haaland as a generational player, Guardiola made it clear he’s equally impressed by another rising star in his squad.
In his pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Villarreal, Guardiola was asked about Rayan Cherki, who has been struggling with injuries, and his response was emphatic: “Rayan is one of the huge talents I’ve ever seen in my career; technically, individually – he’s top.”
The Spanish manager also highlighted the progress the Frenchman has made so far with the team. “The question is how he settles in what we want to do, how he reads every action and this started really well in the (Club) World Cup, but after had a few weeks off and step by step. I have the feeling most of times, not all the time, the ball comes to him, the situation is better,” Guardiola stated.
Rayan Cherki of Manchester City.
After pointing to Cherki’s assist to Haaland against Everton, Guardiola praised the player’s personality and style: “And he is a guy I like a lot that he doesn’t feel pressure, always wants to play with the ball, like a street player, ‘Give me the ball, give me the ball!’ But it’s a short time here, and he needs a little bit of time.”
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Cherki’s 2025-26 season so far
Among the notable deals of the 2025 summer transfer window, Manchester City took advantage of Olympique Lyon’s financial struggles to sign Rayan Cherki. The deal was finalized for €36.5 million ($41.7 million), a bargain considering what the 22-year-old has shown in recent seasons.
After battling injuries early in the campaign, Cherki has only featured in four matches for City, scoring once, against Wolverhampton Wanderers. On the other hand, hamstring issues have forced him to miss seven games, while he was an unused substitute in the 1-0 win over Brentford.
Known for his exceptional dribbling, Cherki’s playing style has drawn comparisons to Riyad Mahrez, whose creativity played a key role during Guardiola’s earlier years at City. At just 22, the Spanish coach believes he’s witnessing one of the brightest young talents in world soccer, and with more than half the season still to play, Cherki’s full impact could be yet to come.
