JEAN-PHILIPPE MATETA DEMANDS CRYSTAL PALACE EXIT AS JUVENTUS PREPARES A FRESH £35M BID
Frustrated by broken promises and a lack of ambition, Jean-Philippe Mateta demands a £35m move from Crystal Palace to Juventus.
Jean-Philippe Mateta has told Crystal Palace he wants to leave. The French striker feels the club's ambitions don't match his own. He's upset that promises about new players and a potential contract weren't kept. The 28-year-old wants to play European football regularly, and Juventus recently made an offer for him.
Mateta Not Happy with Crystal Palace
Reports suggest Mateta's time in South London may be coming to an end. Sky Sports says he wanted to leave last summer when several clubs showed interest. Contract talks near the end of 2025 didn't work out, leading him to think his future lies elsewhere. His current deal ends in the summer of 2027.
Juventus Interested in Mateta
The Times reports that Juventus offered a loan deal for Mateta: £1.7m to borrow him until the end of the season, with an extra £24m if they qualify for Europe to buy him outright. Palace turned it down and wants £35m for the player.
Juventus needs attacking players because Dusan Vlahovic has been injured since November with a shoulder problem. He should be back in March, but his contract with the club also ends this season.
Aston Villa might also try to sign Mateta. They've been linked with bringing back Tammy Abraham, who's currently on loan at Besiktas from Roma. Unai Emery's team loaned out Donyell Malen to Roma last week.
Manchester United was interested in Mateta last summer, but they spent a lot on Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko, and Bryan Mbeumo. So, a move in January is unlikely.
Trouble at Crystal Palace
Mateta seems to be following his former captain and manager out of the club. Earlier this month, Palace agreed to sell Marc Guehi to Manchester City for a low price of £20m because he had less than six months left on his contract.
Soon after, manager Oliver Glasner, who won the FA Cup, said he'd be leaving when his contract ends in the summer. He was reportedly angry that the club let Eberechi Eze join Arsenal and might let Guehi leave for Liverpool at the end of the summer. Chairman Steve Parish blocked the £35m Guehi deal.
Before a game against Sunderland, Glasner said he felt abandoned by the club. This made Parish consider firing him, but they agreed Glasner would finish his contract.
Will Mateta Leave in January?
Glasner helped Mateta improve his game. He joined on loan from Mainz in January 2021 and then signed a permanent deal for £15m, but he struggled at first. Since Glasner arrived in February 2024, only Erling Haaland (59) and Mohamed Salah (36) have scored more Premier League goals than Mateta (34).
With Glasner leaving, Mateta's loyalty to Crystal Palace seems to be gone. Parish probably won't want another contract situation like the one with Guehi. Any club that wants Mateta this window will likely have to pay the £35m asking price or wait until the summer.
CONOR GALLAGHER CONFIRMED AS "VITAL" STARTER FOR SPURS FOLLOWING BENTANCUR’S INJURY LAYOFF
Conor Gallagher proved the doubters wrong against Man City. Discover why his €40m move to Tottenham is finally paying off for Spurs.
Chelsea and Atletico Madrid both decided Conor Gallagher wasn’t worth the trouble. At Chelsea, he had his moments—Pochettino liked him, but the fans never really warmed up. When Chelsea shipped him off to Atletico, it made sense. Enzo Fernandez stepped up, took over Gallagher’s role, and fit in perfectly next to Caicedo, with Cole Palmer adding that extra spark up front.
Things didn’t get much better for Gallagher in Spain. He barely got a chance at Atleti, lost his spot in the starting eleven, and pretty much ended up on the transfer list before anyone had time to blink. Interest was lukewarm at best until the winter window rolled around. Aston Villa wanted him and went after him pretty aggressively, but then Tottenham swooped in late. Spurs needed someone to patch up the midfield after Bentancur’s injury, so they just paid up—40 million euros, no hesitation.
His start at Tottenham? Rough. Honestly, that was to be expected. He’d played well at Palace before, but after his struggles at Atleti, he needed time to adjust. Sitting on the bench in Spain didn’t do him any favours.
Then Gallagher showed up. People doubted whether he could really add creativity and move the ball forward for Spurs, so his early struggles got people worried. But then came the 2-2 draw against Manchester City. He suddenly looked like the player both Ange Postecoglou and Thomas Frank were so desperate to sign.
Against City, Gallagher flipped the script. He set up a crucial assist, drove play forward on the dribble, and kept drawing fouls—everything the Spurs needed. Defensively, he was all over the place in a good way: two tackles, three interceptions, a full 90 minutes, and a huge part of the Spurs clawing their way back into the game.
Tottenham fans loved it. They saw the effort, the attitude, and the hunger to win. Gallagher just wouldn’t quit, and in that second half, he, Xavi Simons, Pape Matar Sarr, Destiny Udogie, and Dominic Solanke ran the show. Four of those guys have been carrying Spurs lately, so Gallagher is fitting right in with them. That’s a pretty good sign he’s going to work out just fine in North London.
AC MILAN MEDICAL FAILURE: THE HIDDEN KNEE INJURY THAT CRUSHED MATETA’S £30M MOVE
Jean-Philippe Mateta's £30m move to AC Milan is OFF. Discover why a failed medical has put his France World Cup dreams in jeopardy.