Manchester City is facing a major sporting and financial upheaval. Due to numerous violations of the Premier League’s financial regulations, the top English club is facing an uncertain future. The extent of the penalties is still unclear, but they could have a significant impact on the Sky Blues’ roster.
An independent commission has found Man City guilty on 115 counts. It is not yet clear exactly what sanctions will result from this. Among other possibilities, a significant point deduction is on the table, and in the worst-case scenario, even forced relegation.
Should this worst-case scenario actually come to pass, Manchester could lose numerous stars in the summer of 2027. Bayern Munich is closely monitoring the situation. Alongside other prominent names, Rayan Cherki appears to be drawing Munich’s attention as well.
Cherki is reportedly looking to move if the club is relegated
According to information from Football Insider, Cherki has already made a clear decision for himself: If Manchester City is relegated to the second tier of English soccer, the Frenchman wants to leave the club.
This could bring one of Europe’s most intriguing attacking players onto the market. The 23-year-old only moved from Olympique Lyon to Manchester in 2025 and is still under a long-term contract. Under normal circumstances, signing him would be correspondingly difficult and expensive.
However, a potential forced relegation could fundamentally change the situation. In such a scenario, Man City might have to sell several top stars below market value. Alongside Cherki, players like Erling Haaland and Josko Gvardiol are among the squad’s most valuable players.
Recently, reports have circulated suggesting that Bayern has set its sights on Haaland. The problem: With a reported salary of over 30 million euros per year, the Norwegian is financially out of reach for FCB.
However, as Football Insider reports, Bayern is among the clubs closely monitoring Cherki’s situation. Interest in the French international is by no means new. Even before his move to Manchester City, the German record champions had been keeping an eye on Cherki.
Cherki fits Bayern’s profile perfectly
From a sporting perspective, Cherki has a profile that is certainly of interest to the Munich club. The Frenchman is technically strong, creative, and can play nearly any position behind a center forward. He feels most comfortable in the attacking midfield.
This would give Bayern several options. Cherki could act as a playmaker, but he could also come in from the wings and switch positions repeatedly throughout a game.
A signing is still a long way off at this point, however. First, it must be determined what penalty Manchester City will actually receive. As long as the penalty has not been announced, all scenarios surrounding a possible fire sale remain hypothetical.
In Munich, however, they are apparently preparing for various possibilities nonetheless. Should City indeed be forced to sell its stars and Cherki become available on the market, Bayern might sense an opportunity.
After all, the connection between the record champions and the Frenchman has existed for quite some time. What didn’t materialize before his move to City could suddenly become a topic of discussion again in the summer of 2027.