Sidiki Chérif in talks with Crystal Palace, offers made but no deal | OneFootball

Crystal Palace have stepped up their move for Angers forward Sidiki Chérif, with talks ongoing but no agreement in place.

According to L'Équipe, the 19-year-old, a standout early in the season with four league goals, sits at the heart of Angers’ winter saga alongside Himad Abdelli, who has been sent to the reserves amid strong OM interest.

Eintracht Frankfurt moved first with an offer early this month worth €19-20m plus €5m in add-ons, which Angers rejected. Angers then reached an agreement with Paris FC on terms understood to be either €21m including bonuses or €23m, but Chérif did not want to join the capital club.

After an initial bid last week, Palace are said to have returned on Thursday with around €17m. Angers acknowledge contact with the London club but have not confirmed a second offer. Sporting director Laurent Boissier said he thinks Chérif will stay.

Discussions continue and the feasibility is hard to gauge, with positive steps offset by slowdowns amid suggestions Angers want up to €25m. The future of Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta could yet influence the final stretch of this window.

Source: L'Équipe