After reaching an agreement with Tammy Abraham for a loan deal till the end of the season, Aston Villa have agreed personal terms with Jean-Philippe Mateta.
The Crystal Palace forward is looking for his way out of Selhurst Park, alongside Adam Wharton, after Marc Guehi’s exit was confirmed, and Oliver Glasner’s recent statements about the club failing to back him in the transfer market despite the FA Cup win.
The former Mainz 05 striker has made his intention to leave before the January window shuts known to the club’s hierarchy, and the Eagles have started receiving interest from clubs across Europe.
Palace have already reached an agreement with Angers to sign Sidiki Cherif, but the teenager isn’t mature enough to lead the line for Oliver Glasner’s men, meaning they’d have to rely on Eddie Nketiah and Christantus Uche till the rest of the season.
As per Football Transfers, Juventus lodged two loan offers for Mateta, but their bids were rejected by Palace. As a result, Unai Emery’s Aston Villa were emboldened and decided to meet with the striker’s party to discuss personal terms.
According to the report, the 28-year-old agreed to Villa’s terms, as the offer appeals to him – a chance to fight for the top four in the English Premier League, and the opportunity of playing in the UEFA Champions League for the first time in his career.
In the French national team, Mateta is competing for the number nine position alongside Hugo Ekitike and Kylian Mbappe. While he has no chance of breaking into Deschamps’ team, he believes a big move would at least secure his chances of playing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup for France, which would be a career first for him.
Surprisingly, Chelsea have also been in touch with Mateta’s representatives. The Blues want to monitor the striker’s situation, although whether they will actually enter the race for him is unclear at present.
Palace are demanding between €35m and €40m for their star striker, and discussions have already been held with several European clubs in the past few weeks, away from Juventus, Aston Villa and Chelsea.
