Crystal Palace in talks over taking January spend well over £50m with next new signing
Crystal Palace are in talks with Ligue 1 club Angers over a deal to sign young forward Sidiki Cherif this month.
Palace are looking to bolster Oliver Glasner‘s squad in numerous positions this month following a poor run of form that has seen them slip to 12th in the Premier League.
A humiliating FA Cup defeat to sixth-tier Macclesfield last time out extended their winless run to nine games since a 3-0 victory over Shelbourne in the Conference League.
Glasner’s side have scored just six times in the nine matches since that win, and so are clearly in need of attacking additions before the January window slams shut.
Brennan Johnson has already joined the Eagles from Spurs for around £35million, and their winter spending could soon move above £50m if a deal is struck to sign Cherif.
Palace have held talks with Angers over cut-price Cherif deal
19-year-old Cherif has become a regular starter for Angers this season, with four goals in his 18 appearances so far across all competitions.
Reports of Palace’s interest in Cherif emerged last month, as they weighed up an approach to the Ligue 1 side, and they have now enquired about his services.
The Sun‘s latest print edition claims that the Eagles’ chiefs have met with their Angers counterparts over a deal for the teenage striker.
He is keen to move to the Premier League, and the 10th-placed Ligue 1 side have been holding out for a fee of £21million for his signature, but Palace are hoping to sign him for a lower fee.
Cherif’s arrival could see Christantus Uche leave Palace this month
Football Insider revealed in November that Newcastle, Sunderland and Fulham were keen on Cherif, so he is clearly expected to have the talent to impress in the Premier League at just 19-years-old.
Palace now look set to win the race for his services, and his arrival may allow them to cancel Uche‘s loan after a poor first half of the season since his summer move from Getafe.
The Nigerian international has mainly been deployed as a centre-forward for the Eagles, but has only scored twice in 18 appearances across four different competitions so far.
Uche even proved ineffective against Macclesfield as he led the line on a dark day in Palace’s history, and Glasner clearly does not trust him after failing to hand him a Premier League starting berth as yet.
Palace are already planning for Uche’s departure at the end of this term, as he is set to be used as a squad player to make sure he doesn’t reach 10 league starts, because that is when his loan will become a permanent deal.
The potential signing of Cherif would only push him further down the attacking pecking order, and so they could look to cancel Uche’s spell before the end of the month if a deal can be sorted with Getafe.