Manchester City’s latest signing seems to have gone from looking like a completely different player altogether. Fans even remarked that he looks much younger than when he joined the Manchester club. The player in conversation is star midfielder Rayan Cherki, whom Pep Guardiola recently remarked as ‘one of the most talented players’ he had ever seen.
What’s even more interesting is that it’s not just his body that has changed, but also his attitude and playstyle within months. The young Frenchman who scored on his national and club debut has been regarded as one of the most exciting players in the world. For Manchester City fans, this could serve as great news as their new midfielder has found his discipline, which can amplify his potential.
Cherki recently posted a picture on his social media handle, which sparked conversations online, generating responses from fans who claim he’s ‘Premier League ready’.
What’s even more interesting is that the transformation was probably not accidental, as Pep Guardiola has had a vivid history of benching even some of the biggest players if they were not up to his physical standards.
Former Manchester City left-back Gael Clichy had said about Pep, “If you were two kilos over what he considered your maximum weight, you didn’t train.”
One thing Pep absolutely hates is overweight players.
— Silva 21 (@legend_sliva_21) October 17, 2025
He kept Aguero, Mahrez out of the squad because they were couple of pounds over and called Kalvin Phillips overweight publicly.
Looks like a conversation was had with Cherki as well. He looks like he’s lost a few. pic.twitter.com/7gH55EV2fE
Looks like he and Pep had the “fat” talk pic.twitter.com/oAIJXrSKJq
— SHEIKH (DK) 👑 (@SheikhMCI) October 17, 2025
Bro did we send him to dagestan during his injury how has he lost half his body weight in 2 months pic.twitter.com/NHrtgQT57r
— eŵân (@ewan10i) October 17, 2025
Guardiola himself has gone on record multiple times expressing his importance on the maintenance of his players’ weight since his belief revolves around fewer injuries happening if proper weight guidance is followed. These parameters could highly benefit someone like Rayan Cherki, who has a history of missing significant games due to injuries during his days in OL.
Cherki seems to have lost significant facial fat and has visibly gotten leaner. He has also put on lean muscle mass, which would certainly help with his acceleration, footwork, and ability to take on players on the pitch. As per the last reported weights on EA FC 26, Cherki had weighed 71kgs and he seems to have reduced almost 5/6 kgs now. While already being known as a creative player with the skill to take the game on his own, Pep may have just unlocked the best version of the youngster now.
Amongst big names who were benched due to weight differences with Guardiola are Samir Nasri, Kalvin Phillips, Sergio Aguero, and even a new endurance programme for Jack Grealish. His regime demands complete domination over his players’ nutrition and fitness. Sources from Manchester City’s training camp have reported that Cherki is ‘obsessed’ with his recovery and new regime, which was visible during his brief appearance in Manchester City’s 2-0 victory against Everton.
Cherki looks set to take on the league running as his road to recovery from his August thigh injury seems to have gone pretty well. Now, embarking upon a motivated mindset, he is set to show everyone exactly what he can offer in the City midfield, hoping to bring the same creative aspect from the days of Kevin de Bruyne.
