City Consider Moves For 2 Chelsea Targets As Three Man Shortlist To Replace Mahrez Is Revealed

City Consider Moves For 2 Chelsea Targets As Three Man Shortlist To Replace Mahrez Is Revealed

Manchester City are targeting Lyon pair Rayan Cherki and Bradley Barcola, as well as Celta Vigo’s Gabri Veiga, according to 90min.com.

The treble winners are scouring the market as they look for a replacement for Riyad Mahrez, who is set to join Saudi Arabian side Al Ahli for £30m.

Cherki and Veiga have also been targeted by Chelsea, with the former expected to cost around €50m (£43m), while the latter has a €40m (£34m) release clause.


Barcola, meanwhile, is being pursued by both Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig, with 90min.com claiming that the two teams have already “made enquiries” about the 20-year-old forward’s availability.

Out of the three players mentioned, Barcola would be the closest fit in terms of a like-for-like replacement for Mahrez. He can play right across the front three.


Cherki, meanwhile, is more comfortable in central areas, playing mostly as a no.10 for Lyon last season, but he does have the capability to play in wide areas if required.

Veiga, on the other hand, would be the least similar of the three to Mahrez. The Spaniard has been on City’s radar for quite some time but it was assumed he would replace Bernardo Silva, if the Portuguese playmaker were to leave the Etihad.

Mahrez is just one of a number of players who could leave City this summer

In addition to the Algerian international, Kyle Walker is also expected to be sold before the transfer window closes. The England fullback is keen to join Bayern Munich and negotiations are underway to make the transfer happen.

Aymeric Laporte will also be offloaded if a satisfactory offer is received, while Joao Cancelo is on the transfer list as well. The Portuguese international has been included in the Citizens’ squad for the pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea but the defender does not have a future with the Premier League champions.

David Tully

David Tully

David has worked as a football reporter for the last fifteen years. Having started as an intern at Snack Media, he then went on to become a freelancer, working on various different sites. At the start of 2023, he took up his current role as content writer for National World's Football News Network.