Warren Zaire-Emery hails Rayan Cherki's 'genius' after France display

Rayan Cherki is emerging as a central figure for France after a strong first season at Manchester City. He scored France's goal in the warm-up defeat to Ivory Coast and made a wider impact on the team's play.

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery praised Cherki's technical ability, calling it "genius": "Sometimes he has moves, he himself doesn't know what he's doing. It's just genius!"

The former Lyon player has established himself at Pep Guardiola's side, scoring 10 goals and providing 15 assists across 52 appearances in his debut season at the Etihad.

His form earned him a place on the 2025-26 PFA Players' Player of the Year shortlist alongside team-mate Erling Haaland. With six caps and two goals for France, he still faces stiff competition for a regular starting spot under Didier Deschamps as the 2026 World Cup approaches.

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