Frank Leboeuf Puts Rayan Cherki Beside Zinedine Zidane
Frank Leboeuf has put Rayan Cherki in the same conversation as zinedine zidane, saying the Manchester City and France playmaker is “a little bit like Zizou.” The 1998 World Cup winner pointed to Cherki’s skill and timing on the ball, then went further by describing him as the kind of player people pay to watch.
Leboeuf on Cherki’s touch
“The skill that he shows reminds me sometimes of Zinedine. It's true,” Leboeuf said, adding that Cherki seems to understand tactics and knows when to slow down and when to accelerate. He also said, “And therefore, it's more Zinedine Zidane because Zizou knew how to get rid of the ball or to keep it at the right time, at the right moment.”
That comparison lands because Cherki is not being framed as a simple dribbler. Leboeuf tied the praise to control and decision-making, the kind of traits that separate a flashy attacking player from one who changes how a team attacks.
Cherki at Manchester City
Cherki joined Manchester City from Lyon in the summer of 2025 for £34 million, and the move already produced output in England. In his debut campaign, the 22-year-old delivered 10 goals and 15 assists, and he also scored one rabona goal.
Manchester City won the Carabao Cup and FA Cup during that same debut campaign. Those numbers give Leboeuf’s comparison more weight: Cherki was not just an accessory in a new league, he produced goals, assists and a piece of individual skill that stood out even in a trophy-winning season.
France’s attacking group
Leboeuf’s view also places Cherki inside a crowded France attack that includes Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise. He said he admired Hatem Ben Arfa as well, calling him a “street footballer” with skills but without the tactics, before contrasting that profile with Cherki’s feel for the game.
He summed up the attraction in one line: “The guy is why you pay tickets to the stadium.” For France, that is the sharpest part of the comparison. Cherki is being talked about not just as a gifted winger or creator, but as the sort of player who can tilt a match with a touch, a pass or a decision at the right moment.
