Liverpool want €70m superstar as Wirtz replacement

1 Oct 2026 13:58 BST |
2 min read

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Liverpool are reportedly ready to battle for the signing of Rayan Cherki if Manchester City are forced to sell their best players next year.

Enzo Maresca’s side have officially been found guilty of all charges related to breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules, with an independent commission finding that Man City arranged “sham” contracts between 2009-10 and 2017-18.

City have confirmed they will appeal the verdict, but the club have been found to have artificially boosted their income by more than £900m and while there is no precedent for the penalty they will receive, a hefty points deduction or an expulsion from the Premier League is widely expected to be issued.

If Man City receive a hefty punishment, a host of their biggest stars will likely look to leave the club – in a similar vein to how the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Gianluca Zambrotta, Patrick Vieira, Fabio Cannavaro and Lilian Thuram all left Juventus after they were sent to Serie B in 2006.

Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Josko Gvardiol would likely be among the players who could depart, while Cherki would become one of the most sought-after stars on the market, as per a report from TEAMtalk.

It’s claimed that Liverpool will be near the front of the queue to sign the France international if he becomes available in 2027, with the Reds’ interest dating back to before his move to Man City last summer.

However, Andoni Iraola’s side would face significant competition in the race for Cherki’s signature as TEAMtalk report that Arsenal, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid will also be interested in signing him.

Rayan Cherki to replace Florian Wirtz at Liverpool?

Liverpool’s reported interest in Cherki is extremely unsurprising given Florian Wirtz’s hugely underwhelming form since his arrival from Bayer Leverkusen last summer.

Liverpool paid a whopping €125 million to sign the Germany international – a Premier League record fee at the time – but he has only registered 18 goal contributions in 55 games across all competitions for the club.

Wirtz has failed to score or assist in 76% of his Premier League appearances for Liverpool and his form has been a major concern in recent weeks.

As a result, the Reds have been linked with a number of attacking midfielders ahead of the January window, including Fulham starlet Josh King, and they have now added Cherki to their list of targets amid the uncertainty of his long-term future at Man City.

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