Crystal Palace’s next January signing could be a thrilling £22m striker with top class potential

Not many pundits had Crystal Palace down as being one of the busier Premier League teams in the January transfer window, but it looks as though they’re set to be rather livelier than expected – with reports suggesting that an exciting young forward could be ready to follow Brennan Johnson to Selhurst Park in the coming days.

Journalists Fabrice Hawkins and Ben Jacobs have both reported that Palace are in advanced talks to bring 19-year-old Angers striker Sidiki Cherif to London – and while negotiations are ongoing, the teenager could command a fee of around €25m (the better part of £22m). That would be a record fee for Angers and a significant investment for Palace, so will Cherif pay that back if the deal can be completed this month?

Why Crystal Palace are ready to spend big on Angers striker Sidiki Cherif

Cherif, who moved to France at the age of five and is eligible to represent both his adopted country and Guinea at international level, had only started three league matches before the summer – now, he is one of the fastest-rising stars in Ligue 1.

A centre-forward who has started 13 games this season and scored four goals, Cherif has caught the eye with both his impressively precise finishing and with his mesmerising dribbling skills and ability to send defenders the wrong way with a quick drop of the shoulder, and was especially impressive during a run of games in October when he scored in consecutive matches against AS Monaco, Lorient and Marseille, all goals which proved to be crucial in earning points for his club.

While Cherif has yet to achieve genuine consistency at the top level – he has only scored once since, against Nantes before Christmas – he has demonstrated plenty of admirable qualities, especially when dropping into deeper areas or attacking the channels, beating defenders with a sudden turn of pace and direction and getting into spaces other forwards might not be able to reach.

Cherif is already an outstanding ball carrier who beats his man around two thirds of the time, a mark most wingers would be proud of, and whose work ethic off the ball and willingness to pressure opposing players to win back possession has made him effective in and out of possession.

His finishing is also excellent, despite a relatively slight return of just four goals – he picks his spot well, is decisive with his shots, and those strikes have come from an expected goals total of exactly 3.0. The issue has been the volume of chances created for him, rather than his ability to put them away. Palace seem to be willing to bet that they can provide better service.

How will Cherif fit in to Palace’s system – and where does he still need to improve?

Cherif will likely be a back-up to Jean-Philippe Mateta initially despite the significant transfer fee, but also has the natural game to play in wider areas if required – although above average size, strength and pace are likely the attributes which saw Angers earmark him as a centre-forward in the first place.

Indeed, while Cherif operates on paper as the sole centre-forward in Angers’ 4-2-3-1 system, he isn’t the kind of striker who stays close to the box, rather one who spends much of the game dropping deep to pick up possession and who attacks wider areas when going forward. That, in part, explains the relatively low volume of chances he has enjoyed this season – he positions himself in a supporting role rather than looking for opportunities to get on the end of the final ball.

That is, perhaps, one key area of development. Cherif has the qualities to be a true number nine but may need to learn to be a little more selfish, or to spend less time looking for the ball and more time getting into areas into which he can score goals. His work ethic is undeniable, but a little less time spent helping out in midfield might mean more chances to score in the long run.

If he is going to play as something closer to a false nine than to a traditional centre-forward, he will also need to create better chances for his team-mates. His passing game is reasonably strong but not remarkable and he has yet to provide an assist at the professional level, while the number of shooting chances he is involved in the build-up to (1.54 per 90 minutes on average over the past year, per FBREF) is low for a player who gets into the kind of positions that Cherif does.

It will also be interesting to see how his technique holds up in the Premier League. While his quick turn of direction has seen him leave plenty of opposing players looking rather foolish as he surges past them, he doesn’t tend to keep the ball under close control as he runs past defenders and savvier opponents may be able to take advantage of the gap between ball and player to take possession from him.

It would be unrealistic, then, to expect Cherif to be a major contributor straight away, even though he is already a regular starter for a mid-table side in a ‘big five’ league. There are rough edges to sand off and improvements to be made – but he has significant potential and the fundamental skill set to be a big hit in the Premier League given time and the right coaching.

This will be an exciting and intriguing move for Palace if the deal goes through – a relatively expensive gamble on a project player with all the right attributes to succeed but a learning curve ahead of him. It may not be long before we get the first indications of whether it’s a gamble that will pay off.

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