Chelsea owner Todd Boehly could be set to reward Mauricio Pochettino for his faith in the project at Stamford Bridge with the signing of Rayan Cherki. The playmaker shone with Lyon last season and was equally as impressive at the Under-21 Championships over the summer, prompting the Blues to register an interest in acquiring his services.

Malo GUSTO and Rayan CHERKI during the Ligue 1 Uber Eats match between Troyes and Lyon (Image: Anthony Bibard/FEP/Icon)

Pochettino has taken a ‘no nonsense’ approach to rearrings the Chelsea dressing room this summer, offloading those who have had their head turned by other clubs, as well as selling fringe players that would hardly feature in the upcoming campaign.

With several striker targets appearing to be unattainable, the Blues are now looking at other goalscoring outlets that they can add to their ranks – with Cherki heavily admired. According to 90min, Chelsea have opened talks with Lyon regarding the 19-year-old and are hopeful of striking a deal for approximately £30million.

Cherki has gained praise from across Europe for his development, and the Frenchman’s flair and effortless dribbling technique has seen him draw comparisons with Eden Hazard. The Belgian winger became a hero at Chelsea during his stint at the club, with some regarding the now-Real Madrid forward as one of the best to grace the Premier League.

Rayan Cherki shone for France U21s this summer (Image: Getty)

Hazard was 21 when he headed to England on the back of an unbelievable campaign at Lille that saw him bag 20 goals and register 15 assists in 35 appearances – justifying why the Blues were willing to fork out £32m for his services. However, his stats whilst aged 19, like Cherki, are incredibly similar.

In the 2009/10 Ligue 1 campaign, Hazard scored five and assisted seven in 37 appearances. In contrast, Cherki is being targeted after a season that saw hin bag four and assist six in 34 Ligue 1 matches.

Though it is not simply Cherki’s goalscoring output that has caught the eye of Chelsea, his movement and versatility is viewed as a key asset. The playmaker predominantly plays in a No 10 role but can also be deployed on either flank due to his creativity and ability to break through the lines with the ball at his feet – attributes that Hazard had whilst with the Blues before his move to Real Madrid.

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Todd Boehly could sign another Eden Hazard type forward (Image: Getty)

Discussing the talented teenager, former Chelsea star Frank Lebouf recently said: “[Cherki is] still a raw player in the way that he’s still what I call a street footballer, which is somebody who has all the s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s.

“You cannot find another player who is more skilful on the planet right now and that’s amazing when he’s able to do that on the pitch and what he can do with his feet and the ball, but he has to know when to get rid of the ball at the right time.”