Enzo Maresca has backed Rayan Cherki as a different kind of attacking option, but the Manchester City playmaker is still waiting for the kind of run in the side he wants. Maresca’s praise came after Cherki made an impact from the bench, while his frustration at being left out has already been visible. City signed him from Lyon for £30m in June 2025.
Maresca's view of Cherki
"In terms of quality, he is a different player to the rest because he can give us moments when we struggle in the last third," Maresca said on BBC. He also said, "He has the quality that we need, but it depends also on the game plan and the opponent that we play."
That is the key tension around him. Maresca is not talking about a player on the fringe, he is talking about one who can help now and later, and he added: "There is no doubt he's going to help now and in the future. I am very happy with the way he is working."
The minutes problem
Cherki made 33 Premier League appearances last season, with 14 of those as a substitute. That is the background to the current frustration. His only Premier League appearance this season came for 27 minutes, and it already produced 2 goal contributions.
The return is hard to ignore, especially after his goal contributions last weekend took him to 12 assists from open play since the start of last season. He also played only 124 minutes across the whole World Cup tournament, which fits the same pattern of short bursts rather than a settled starting role.
Maresca said Cherki is "quite a nice and clear boy" and added that if he is not happy, he shows it. City were also warned about his temperament before signing him, with Ferran Soriano saying there had been an idea that he was "chaotic". For City, the more immediate point is simpler: the player looks sharp enough to matter, and Manchester City travel to Bournemouth on Friday.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
