‘How on earth?’ – EFL fans stunned by ‘absolutely wild’ Wrexham transfer news
Wrexham have submitted a massive bid for Angers forward Sidiki Cherif in the hopes of beating Crystal Palace to the signing.
Football Insider revealed on Thursday that Wrexham have bid £19million for Cherif, in a deal that would become a Championship record fee if it goes through.
The 19-year-old has scored four goals in 18 Ligue 1 appearances this season after coming through the Angers academy.
Cherif was linked to Newcastle United and Sunderland in November, but Palace and Wrexham have emerged as the front-runners for the forward’s signature.
Palace looked close to completing a deal for Cherif, but the Championship club’s intervention has thrown his future into doubt.
EFL fans react to staggering Sidiki Cherif news
The Championship record fee was broken by Ipswich Town in the summer, after they signed Norway international Sindre Walle Egeli from Danish club Nordsjaelland.
The Tractor Boys paid £17.5m for the winger, but that record could be set to fall in the coming days.
What makes Wrexham’s move so staggering, however, is the fact that they were promoted from League One just last season.
Ipswich, in comparison, were relegated from the Premier League and benefited from the parachute payments that come with the drop.
Wrexham’s funding appears to come directly from owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, who have transformed the Welsh club since their 2020 takeover.
EFL fans reacted to the news on social media, with one fan calling the bid “absolutely wild”.
Others questioned the story, verifying that the bid was not a joke in their bemusement at the staggering figure.
X user Tristan questioned: “How on earth are these lot playing within FFP rules?” And others shared a similar sentiment.
One fan said: “The game has never been more gone than it is now. Wrexham weren’t much bigger than the Brewers before Hollywood. Money ruins everything.”
What Phil Parkinson said about Cherif links
Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson was questioned about Thursday’s links to Cherif, but refused to give anything away.
“There’s lots of names we get linked with and some have got some truth and some of them haven’t,” he explained.
| Sidiki Cherif | Ligue 1 2025-26 |
| Appearances | 18 |
| Goals | 4 |
| Shots | 28 |
| Successful dribbles | 11 |
| Duels won | 51 |
“At this stage of the window there’s inquiries, there’s talks going on. Sometimes they come to fruition and sometimes they don’t, that’s all I can say on any transfer targets at the moment.
“I’m firmly firmly concentrating on the players we’ve got.”
But speculation remains, and will intensify in the coming weeks. Much will be said if Wrexham can indeed pull off their move for Cherif, but nobody can possibly question their ambition.