In brief
Prior to their rumored Premier League moves, Florian Wirtz and Rayan Cherki’s stats have been compared.
Cherki is expected to join Manchester City, while Wirtz is Liverpool’s top target.
Based on the facts, there isn’t much of a choice between the two.
With Florian Wirtz and Rayan Cherki’s impending arrivals at Liverpool and Manchester City, respectively, two of the most talked-about moves in the early stages of the 2025 summer transfer window, it appears that two of the best young football players in the world will soon grace the Premier League.
Since becoming a key member of Xabi Alonso’s double-winning Bayer Leverkusen squad, Wirtz has been a hot topic in German football. Following in the footsteps of someone named Karim Benzema, Cherki has been dominating for Lyon in France.
Given that the two are now expected to make significant moves—Wirtz is reportedly worth over £100 million, while his counterpart might be able to complete a switch for just over £25 million—GIVEMESPORT has chosen to examine their respective 2024–2025 season performances in order to determine which of the English powerhouses is getting the best deal by bringing in their preferred playmaking wonderkid.
Finishing
There is not much to separate the two
Although it isn’t strictly the top priority, scoring goals is a crucial component of what both of these players will need to provide to their new clubs because they both play at the top end of the field. Although some more help wouldn’t hurt, City mainly depends on Erling Haaland for goals, whereas Liverpool does have Mohamed Salah.
With 10 goals in the Bundesliga and Cherki’s 8 in Ligue 1, Wirtz has the little advantage when it comes to scoring in the league. However, there is evidence to support the claim that the former is the less effective of the two.
Compared to Cherki, Wirtz has a lower conversion percentage even though his overall shot accuracy is higher. If this is any indication, the young French star might leave a bigger impression if you place them in teams that are likely to generate nearly comparable opportunities each game.
Cherki vs. Wirtz: Final Stats
A statistic
The Wirtz
Cherki
Objectives
10.
8.
Accuracy of shots (%)
72.22
63.33
Rate of conversion (%)
18.52
26.67
Chance Creation
Little to choose between both players
Even less separates the two players when it comes to creating opportunities. Once more, Wirtz leads the league in assists overall, but by the narrowest of margins (12–11). You could argue that Cherki is simply unlucky, though, if you dig deeper into the numbers.
Compared to his counterpart, who has 2.2 chances per game on average, the Lyon great has 3.3. The question of whether the young Frenchman has been denied more assists by his teammates who have put the finishing touches on the opportunities he gives arises when you consider that they both play one through ball per game.
Cherki vs. Wirtz: Final Stats
A statistic
The Wirtz
Cherki
Helps
Twelve
11.
Opportunities generated per 90
2.2
3.3
Per 90, through balls
One
One
Possession
It is an even split across the key areas
Regarding how the two maintain and use possession, they are once again tied. There were ten statistics that were considered, and both of the rising stars won five of them.
In terms of passes attempted and completed in the opponent half per 90, Wirtz won first place. In addition, he won more duels and finished more take-ons. The 22-year-old also contributed to the defensive effort by recovering more balls each game than his opponent.
Cherki appeared to be strongest when it came to carrying the ball. In addition to taking more touches in the opposition’s penalty area and losing possession less frequently per 90, he had a higher take-on success percentage even though he completed less take-ons. Most remarkably, the 21-year-old winger still managed to improve pass accuracy overall even though he had a greater average of forward passes.
Cherki vs. Wirtz: Possession Statistics
A statistic
The Wirtz
Cherki
Attempts at passes
60.8
53.5
Accuracy of passes (%)
82.33
84.13
passes made in the other team’s half per 90
39.5
32.3
Per 90, forward passes
14
15.1.
Take-ons finished according to 90
3.2
2.2
Success rate per 90 (%)
50.93
52.75
90 duels were won.
6.2
4.5
Recoveries of balls per 90
4.4
3.7
Loss of possession per 90
21.7
19.2
90 touches in the opposing box
6.2
6.5
Conclusion
Cherki’s price tag gives him the edge
The two players could scarcely be more evenly matched if they tried, according to the data. This is fantastic news for fans since, should the moves be made and the new season start, it should make for exciting viewing.
Despite his recent decline in play, Wirtz has not appeared to have any trouble coping with the tremendous pressure that comes with being hailed as the sport’s next major star. In any case, he ought to be able to manage the massive cost that will accompany him to Anfield.
There have been numerous instances where a player has been purchased for an outrageous sum of money and it hasn’t paid off. For amounts comparable to what Liverpool is seeking to sign Wirtz for, Philippe Coutinho, Ousmane Dembélé, and Antoine Griezmann all moved to Barcelona. They all failed, both subjectively and objectively.
The main reason Cherki is the slightly more desirable pick-up of the two is probably the smaller risk associated with the expense, even though both sets of arrivals should deliver the products.
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