Stefan Borson: ‘Government shouldn’t be buying players for Wrexham’ after Sidiki Cherif reveal
Wrexham are looking to improve their attacking options ahead of the transfer window closing on 2 February.
Football Insider revealed on Monday (26 January) Red Dragons boss Phil Parkinson went to watch Sidiki Cherif in action for French club Angers in their goalless draw against Paris FC on Sunday (25 January).
It was reported last week Wrexham had submitted a £19million bid to sign Cherif, who has also attracted interest from Crystal Palace.
An offer in that region for the 19-year-old striker would break the Championship transfer record, which was set by Ipswich Town following the signing of Sindre Walle Egeli for £17.5m from FC Nordsjaelland last summer.
However, Wrexham chiefs have insisted the reports are purely speculation and the suggestion of a £19m bid isn’t entirely accurate.
Why Wrexham have ‘loads of cash’ after ownership update
Former Man City financial adviser Stefan Borson exclusively told Football Insider the fee in question for Cherif is similar to the amount of public money the Red Dragons were granted to help fund their new Kop Stand.
It was revealed in November Wrexham have received £18m worth of non-repayable grants from the Welsh government through the local council.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the Cherif situation, Borson said: “Well, the grant they got from the government was around about £19m ironically.
“I think the government should not be buying footballers for Wrexham, but that seems to be the way it works these days.
“I mean, they’ve got a lot of resources. They’re owned by a collection of billionaires and Apollo, one of the biggest finance investment houses in the world, so Wrexham have got loads of cash.”
Who owns Wrexham alongisde Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac?
Wrexham are majority owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac (formerly McElhenney), who have helped the club achieve three successive promotions from the National League to the Championship.
Reynolds and Mac purchased the Red Dragons in February 2021, with the deal seeing the Hollywood stars invest £2m at the Stok Cae Ras, also known as the Racecourse Ground.
It was later announced in October 2024 the Allyn family, which has a net worth of more than £1.5billion, had bought a minority stake in the club.
In a recent ownership update, it was confirmed last month Apollo Sports Capital has purchased a minority stake in Wrexham.
The New York-headquartered firm, which has more than £675bn worth of assets under management, became the majority owners of La Liga giants Atletico Madrid in November.
Wrexham are looking to bring in new signings before the transfer window closes, with Parkinson’s side currently sitting sixth in the Championship table.
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