Sunderland are said to be one of several clubs keen on Angers striker Sidiki Cherif

Crystal Palace’s anticipated swoop for Sunderland-linked attacker Sidiki Cherif has hit a snag, with Wrexham now eyeing up a stunning raid for the SCO Angers talent, according to reports.

Last week, it had seemed as if the Eagles were rapidly closing in on a deal for the teenager, who has scored four goals across 18 Ligue 1 outings so far this term. According to RMC Sports journalist Fabrice Hawkins, as relayed by OneFootball, Oliver Glasner’s side looked set to win the £22 million race for his signature, despite rival interest from the likes of Sunderland and Newcastle United, as well as competition on the continent in the form of AC Milan and Stuttgart.

Now, however, RMC have once again picked up the story, and state that negotiations over a transfer have stalled completely. While the understanding is that Cherif has reached an agreement on personal terms with Palace, the Premier League club are said to have taken a step back from talks with Angers for a couple of key reasons.

The Eagles are reportedly “pointing to interference in the Sidiki deal with various English intermediaries that are preventing concrete progress”, while they are also starting to explore other attacking options, especially after talismanic striker Jean-Philippe Mateta expressed a desire to leave Selhurst Park this month.

Should the French international depart, it would cap a tumultuous January for Palace, with captain Marc Guehi having already left for Manchester City, head coach Glasner having confirmed his desire to walk away at the end of the current campaign, and the club on a dire winless slump that was extended to 10 matches across all competitions after Saturday’s defeat to Sunderland. In the wake of that contest at the Stadium of Light, Glasner told a press conference that he felt that he and his squad have been “abandoned” by the board in South London.

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What is the latest on Sunderland-linked striker Sidiki Cherif?

But while Angers are said to be awaiting another offer from Palace that may or may not be forthcoming, online outlet Football Insider claim that Championship upstarts Wrexham are eyeing a sensational bid to lure Cherif to the EFL.

According to a report on Thursday morning, the Welsh club, who have enjoyed great success in recent seasons under ex-Sunderland boss Phil Parkinson - thanks in large part to the ownership of Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney - are said to have submitted a £19 million bid for the player. At that price, if a deal is to be completed, it would represent a record fee for the second tier of English football.

At the time of writing, Wrexham are just two points adrift of the Championship play-off places, and boast former Sunderland players Callum Doyle, George Dobson, and Nathan Broadhead amongst their ranks.

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