Pep Guardiola claims to have discovered Kevin De Bruyne's successor for Man City

Pep Guardiola may have found the ideal replacement for Kevin De Bruyne at Manchester City. That individual is Rayan Cherki.

Cherki joined Manchester City from Lyon for a fee of around £30 million in the summer of 2025. The French midfielder quickly made a significant impact at Etihad. Not only impressing with his goal and assist statistics, Cherki also captivated Guardiola with qualities that the Spanish coach considers extremely rare in top-level football.

During his tenure at Man City, Guardiola has worked with many of the world's finest attacking midfielders in Cherki's position, notably Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva. When asked if the French player could become the next in that lineage, the Spanish manager succinctly replied: “Yes.”

He then elaborated: “He possesses the ability and qualities in the final third of the pitch. Because in the final third, Cherki has something I particularly admire in attacking players: their ability to control the tempo, constantly changing speed.”

“Such players can disrupt opponents. They have the vision to create surprises, and to me, that defines the best players. Someone can be extremely fast. But if he doesn't know how to stop at the right moment and then accelerate again, he will never become a truly top-level player. And Cherki is truly exceptional in that regard.” Pep said.

The Spanish coach admitted he was genuinely surprised by Cherki's talent and affirmed: “Cherki is one of the most exceptional talents I have ever witnessed.”

According to Pep, besides technical skills, Cherki also impresses mentally. He pointed out moments when the club faced difficulties, under immense pressure, yet Cherki remained as relaxed as playing a friendly match. He believes that is a very hard-to-find quality and admits being very satisfied with Cherki's first season at Etihad.

“I hope Cherki will stay here longer, because he possesses many qualities sufficient to become a top player. He has traits that are very difficult to find. It's just that when staying here long-term, it's important how he behaves to maintain humility. He must still know how to work for the team.”, Pep said.

In his first season moving to England, Cherki made a strong impression by playing 42 matches for Man City, scoring 9 goals and providing 11 assists. For a 22-year-old player and his first time playing in England, this achievement is extremely impressive, especially when he had to compete within one of the league's most quality and competitive squads like Man City.

So far, the over £30 million fee Man City paid for Cherki seems like a great bargain. He is expected to follow David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne, becoming a key nucleus in Man City's new-era style of play.