‘Never Messi in your own country’ - Rayan Cherki backed to justify Zinedine Zidane comparisons & become even better without Pep Guardiola at Man City

After catching the eye in France with Lyon, plenty of eyebrows were raised when City splashed out £34 million ($46m) on the mercurial 22-year-old during the summer transfer window of 2024. He was certainly not a player that ticked the usual recruitment boxes for Catalan coach Guardiola.

Cherki is cut from similar cloth to Brazilian superstars Ronaldinho and Neymar, with his game all about entertaining and playing with a smile. Performers of his ilk require freedom in which to express themselves - and a legendary tactician in Manchester is famously robotic in his approach.

Guardiola did, however, relax his stance enough to ensure that - following a relatively slow start to his spell in England - Cherki grew into a role that allowed him to become a cult hero. Rabona assists and mid-game ball-juggling quickly endeared him to the City faithful - with Carabao Cup and FA Cup successes being savoured along the way.

Cherki has been named in France’s squad for the 2026 World Cup and has already been likened to legendary countryman Zidane. Quizzed on whether that hype is justified, fellow Frenchman Saha - speaking exclusively to GOAL courtesy of Zero1Gaming - said: “Oh yes. For me, I’ve seen it in Lyon before, and I always felt that the French press is extremely harsh, extremely demanding. You are never the Messi in your own home or in your own country, is how we say.

“I’m definitely not surprised that he emerged like this in Manchester City, in a club that was in transition. So a lot of signings come and it was really hard to adapt. But after 10 games, you see the talent is here, he is so courageous, such a special talent.

“And if he grows with his physicality from the England side, like Zidane in Juve - when Zidane had done his first or second year, Zidane was another player. He just was another player. It will be the same with Rayan Cherki.

“Rayan Cherki will take maybe one or two kilos - you see him boxing! The player will develop mentally strong. Quality-wise, he is always going to improve, so I do think that it is going to be very interesting to see next year.”

Pressed further on whether Cherki needs a coach like Guardiola to keep a lid on him, or if he can flourish when freed from those restraints, Saha added: “I think it’s great that he had a year with Pep because he’s such a raw talent with enormous courage to show it on any occasion, and I love that. Please keep those players alive. I really do want them around, for my kids, for anyone who loves football.

“Don’t get too much Guardiola. I love the manager, and I respect what he brings, but sometimes he’s too much, especially on those players. I don’t think that Pep will want that, because when you see this kind of talent, please preserve those guys.

“It’s like you have a Cristiano Ronaldo at 17, 18, 19, and you tell him, ‘No, no, no, you should not do this, you should not dribble that, don’t go there, don’t do that.’ No, it’s a killer. Those guys will learn.

“If they want to compete and be a Ballon d’Or at some point, then they will improve, they will want to learn. Kids like Cherki, they are professional machines, but don’t kill their instinct. Don’t kill the kids inside them.

“It’s so important. This is why we dream, and we pay tickets to watch games. So please, I think Rayan Cherki is someone that can now again prove that he has the quality to be the next Ballon d’Or with Pep Guardiola, with Jose Mourinho, with any manager.”

Cherki may not be a serious Ballon d’Or contender just yet, but history dictates that players with the ability to get spectators on their feet tend to attract interest when it comes to Golden Ball polls.

If he continues to set the Premier League alight, then a standing among the global elite will be taken up. Whether he ever scales the heights that 1998 World Cup winner Zidane reached remains to be seen, but he is becoming a French magician for the modern generation to idolise.