‘Freestyle football player’ Rayan Cherki likened to Samir Nasri & Adel Taarabt as Man City are told they have a Ronaldinho-esque ‘entertainer’ on their hands

Barcelona great Ronaldinho, who won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002, played the game with a smile on his face. He wanted to get supporters on their feet, with a box of tricks taken with him wherever he went.

The Samba superstar was all about tricks and flicks, with remarkable ability to glide past opponents being boasted. Neymar has followed in the footsteps of his fellow countryman when it comes to showboating, but there are few performers of that ilk in the modern era.

Cherki does slip into that category, with a cheeky rabona assist for City being recorded this season. The 22-year-old is not your typical Pep Guardiola player, as he breaks the mould and likes to do his own thing, but it has not taken him long to settle in English football.

Sagna is among those to enjoy watching Cherki strut his stuff, having previously lined up alongside and against a few other Premier League showmen in his playing days. The ex-Arsenal and City defender, speaking in association with talkSPORT Bet Online Slots, told GOAL when asked if Cherki is Ronaldinho-esque: “He is a trick player. He has individual quality that was developed on the streets in five-a-side football. You can feel that he is a different player. 

“You can sense in the way he plays that he is having fun. You can see it. It works for him. He is able to get out of any situation and is used to the pressure. He is used to playing any type of football. It’s working well for him and he is playing for the right team. 

“I think Pep understands his quality and lets him enjoy his football. Usually, Pep gives a lot of instructions to players, but some players like Cherki and Kevin de Bruyne need to have the freedom to perform. 

“He is not scared to try tricks and have fun. We are always looking for this type of player. We used to have Nasri, who was a freestyle football player. We had Adel Taarabt, he was the same. They were entertainers but they were performing and being efficient. He is one of them. You don’t find many players like that today. It’s nice to watch them.”

Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!

Cherki, who joined City from Lyon for £30.5 million ($42m) in the summer of 2025, is now working alongside the calibre of player that makes assists and spectacular goals easy to come by.

Prolific Norwegian striker Erling Haaland is one of his team-mates at the Etihad. The 25-year-old frontman, who has a further 26 goals to his name this season, is working on a 10-year contract in Manchester.

Quizzed on whether that deal to 2034 will be honoured or if a move elsewhere will be made, with Barcelona and Real Madrid forever sniffing around, Sagna said: “Man City suits him. The team is built around him. And he’s still young. It’s crazy thinking about him signing a long-term deal and he is still so young.

“I think he will have an impact on the squad. He is one of the best centre-forwards at the minute. Kylian Mbappe is there, but I don’t see anyone better than both of them. For City to secure him and maybe build around him makes sense. I’m not surprised to see him signing long-term because with him being so young and efficient, they have found a good striker and one that feels at home.”

Cherki and Haaland have helped City to remain in contention for major silverware on four fronts this season. Their next six games will be spread across those competitions, with a Champions League clash with Galatasaray being followed by Premier League dates with Tottenham, Liverpool and Fulham, while a Carabao Cup semi-final second leg date with Newcastle and an FA Cup fourth-round tie with Salford are also factored into the equation.