According to reports, what was expected to be a simple ceremony with thank-you speeches ended with an unexpected hint from Lyon’s jewel towards Paris Saint-Germain.

Cherki was the only non-Parisian player in the Team of the Season. When asked if he felt comfortable in PSG’s dressing room, he replied: “Yes, I know all the players. Ousmane Dembélé is a close friend, and so is Bradley Barcola. Naturally, when there’s good harmony on the pitch, it’s felt off the pitch too. Are these remarks a message to PSG’s sporting directors? I don’t know.” He said this with a playful smile.

These comments naturally raised alarm bells in Lyon’s camp, especially given the rivalry between the clubs’ owners, John Textor (Lyon) and Nasser Al-Khelaifi (PSG). Cherki, the talented attacking midfielder, burst onto the scene in 2019 at a young age and has shone this season with 12 goals and 19 assists in 43 games, despite Lyon’s disappointing seventh-place finish in Ligue 1.

This French midfielder was close to joining Borussia Dortmund in the winter transfer window due to Lyon’s financial troubles. Dortmund remains highly interested and will push hard to sign him this summer.

On the other hand, Textor’s relationship with Dortmund isn’t friendly either. Sebastian Kehl, Dortmund’s sporting director, stated: “We negotiated with Lyon for Cherki. We wanted to sign him, but no agreement was reached. We won’t engage in Lyon’s media games.”

These developments indicate an exciting future for Cherki, a player whose talent has attracted Europe’s elite, and his recent hint towards PSG has only fueled speculation about his next destination.