Rayan Cherki has the potential to step into Kevin De Bruyne's shoes and be Manchester City's assist king in 2025/26 Fantasy Premier League.
The 21-year-old attacking midfielder, who has joined from French side Lyon, has all the attributes to succeed the departing De Bruyne as City's chief creator.
Last season was a breakout campaign for Cherki, who bagged eight goals and 11 assists in Ligue 1.
Those figures are made all the more impressive considering he only started 22 league matches.
Cherki v Man City players' attacking returns, 24/25
| Player | Mins per attacking return |
| Cherki | 107.8 |
|---|---|
| Haaland | 109.4 |
| De Bruyne | 130.3 |
| Savinho | 146.7 |
| Marmoush | 146.8 |
While the young France international is capable of scoring goals, it's his creativity that really stands out; no player in Ligue 1 registered more than his 11 assists.
A total of 75 chances created was also the second-most in the top tier of French football. The only player to produce more, Reims' Junya Ito, had the advantage of playing almost 700 more minutes.
Those eye-catching figures weren't just limited to domestic competition in 2024/25.
Cherki's total of eight assists and 46 chances created both ranked top in the UEFA Europa League.
Cherki v Man City players' chances created, 24/25
| Player | Mins per chance created |
| Cherki | 27.3 |
|---|---|
| Grealish | 29.6 |
| De Bruyne | 29.7 |
| Savinho | 38.3 |
| Foden | 41.2 |
Set-piece responsibilities helped boost Cherki's numbers, but it remains to be seen whether he'll inherit those from De Bruyne, with Omar Marmoush and Phil Foden also adept at dead-ball situations.
But an encouraging feature of Cherki's game is that, even without corners and free-kicks, he is capable of racking up the assists.
Nine of his chances created in 2024/25, for instance, with four leading to assists, came from through-balls. No player in Ligue 1 could match that number.
That could spell good news for Marmoush and Erling Haaland, who thrive off balls in behind opposition defences.
Cherki's line-breaking passes, 24/25
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As well as being a prolific supplier of chances, Cherki's versatility could make him an even more attractive proposition in FPL.
His minutes in 2024/25 were divided between the right flank and the No 10 role, while he's also featured on the left wing and even up front in his career to date.
Being able to operate in a variety of positions could boost his game-time prospects, as we've seen with the equally flexible Marmoush at City.
Should Cherki be handed a favourable price upon FPL's relaunch, he looks set to be a popular pick in Gameweek 1 - and provide the ammunition to further the appeal of Haaland and Marmoush.
