Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta could be on his way to north London.
The 28-year-old reportedly informed Palace of his desire to leave the club earlier this month.
Nottingham Forest made a £35m bid for the Frenchman, but that was rejected as Palace are looking for a fee closer to £40m for their star striker.
Tottenham Hotspur could make a late move for Mateta, with the striker market looking set to catch fire as the January window comes to an end.
Mateta has scored 10 goals in 38 matches in all competitions so far this season, and looks set to add to Palace fans’ heartbreaking January with an exit.
Here, Transfer News Blitz writer Emily Clogg takes a look at why Spurs are interested in Mateta, and the striker merry-go-round that could unfold.
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WHY MATETA?
Mateta joined Palace from Mainz 05 on an initial loan in 2021, before making the move permanent in 2022.
His Eagles career got off to a slow start, with seven Premier League goals in his opening two seasons.
In 2023/24, Mateta became a key player for Palace, bagging himself 25 goal contributions across all competitions – being named Crystal Palace player of the season.
He helped Palace earn their first-ever major trophy in a historic FA Cup final last campaign.
This year, though, things haven’t been all sunshine and rainbows for Mateta at Selhurst Park.
The striker has bagged eight goals in the Premier League so far, with Palace lurking around the lower end of the table.
Having entered the final 18 months of his contract, Mateta has reportedly made it clear that he sees his future elsewhere, much like his manager, Oliver Glasner.
As a result, multiple clubs have circled, including Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, and Juventus.
Most recently, it’s Spurs who have started monitoring his situation – and it could spark a major striker merry-go-round.
MERRY-GO-ROUND
So, strap yourselves in – this could get a little bit confusing, but bear with us.
Let’s set the scene: Mateta wants to leave Palace, so, naturally, they begin the search for a replacement.
Glasner’s side turn their interest to Wolverhampton, and more specifically, Jorgen Strand Larsen.
Leeds have been after Strand Larsen as well, but it seems as though they are reluctant to meet the hefty fee Wolves are demanding.
Palace, on the other hand, could offer up a bit more money for Strand Larsen’s services – £50m, to be exact.
This is a move that seems likely to happen regardless of the Mateta departure, but the player wants to leave, and Palace would probably quite like the money in return.
So, that brings us to Tottenham’s interest in Mateta: why do they need him?
It’s a valid question when you consider they already have Richarlison, Dominic Solanke – who has finally returned from injury – and Randal Kolo Muani.
Kolo Muani, though, could be on his way out the door himself.
Serie A giants Juventus are interested in bringing Kolo Muani over to Turin.
The 27-year-old is currently on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, and enjoyed a fruitful spell at Juventus last season.
Kolo Muani netted eight times in his 16 Bianconeri appearances and is said to be favouring a return this January.
This potential departure is causing Thomas Frank to turn his attention elsewhere, with Mateta eyed up as a potential replacement.
And breathe. We got there.
So, to summarise, we could be seeing Strand Larsen to Palace, Mateta to Spurs, and Kolo Muani to Juventus.
Will this chaos ensue? We are yet to find out, but with transfer deadline day looming, things will become clear very soon.
Sides across England, Italy, France, and Germany have until 7 pm on Monday, 2nd February – so time is ticking for the aforementioned clubs if they want to get these deals done and dusted in time.
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