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TRANSFER BATTLE: ASTON VILLA AND CRYSTAL PALACE FIGHT FOR GONCALO RAMOS AS MATETA EYES EXIT

Crystal Palace and Aston Villa are "working to extract" Goncalo Ramos from PSG. Can the Eagles land him as a Mateta replacement?

Transfer Battle: Aston Villa and Crystal Palace fight for Goncalo Ramos as Mateta eyes exit
PSG’s Goncalo Ramos to London?

Aston Villa and Crystal Palace both want PSG’s Goncalo Ramos. He’s 24, and he’s made a real impact in Paris, playing a big part in their Champions League and league title wins last season.

Both Premier League teams want more firepower up front and have zeroed in on Ramos. Atletico Madrid is in the mix, too, according to Fichajes. So, it’s shaping up to be a bit of a battle for his signature.

Moving to the Premier League is always a tempting prospect, but Atletico Madrid isn’t exactly a small step either. They’re a huge name in Spain, and they can offer Ramos a shot at big trophies—something Villa or Palace probably can’t guarantee yet. If he wants silverware, Madrid looks appealing.

PSG valued him at €65 million over the summer. That’s a hefty price, and it’s not clear if anyone’s going to cough up that much. He’s got loads of talent and a bright future, but PSG will need to be realistic with their demands if they actually want to sell.

So, where does Ramos go from here? Villa just brought in Tammy Abraham to partner with Ollie Watkins, so bringing in another striker feels a bit crowded. Shelling out a huge fee for Ramos doesn’t really add up for them right now.

Crystal Palace, though—they need a striker. Jean-Philippe Mateta could be on his way out, and Palace need someone reliable to take his place. Ramos fits the bill and could be the main man up front.

Atletico Madrid could use more depth in attack, too. If they make a move, things could get interesting fast.

Ramos is still young, and whichever club lands him will get a player with plenty of room to grow. With the right coaching, he can turn into a top striker.

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.

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Conor Gallagher secured first Spurs assist as Tottenham snatched a point at City

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.

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Mateta’s "dream move" suddenly turned toxic.

Jean Philippe-Mateta’s got a real headache right now. The Crystal Palace striker just watched his £30 million dream move to AC Milan blow up at the last minute, all because a knee problem showed up during his medical.

The thing is, Mateta’s been carrying this injury for a while. Now he’s stuck: should he go under the knife and try to recover in time for the World Cup? He wants to make the France squad this summer, but nothing’s guaranteed. Even if he has surgery, there’s no telling if he’ll be fit enough—or have enough time on the pitch—to convince Didier Deschamps he deserves a spot.

The injury’s been dragging him down anyway. It’s messing with his form and his game time, and he’s worried he won’t get a real shot at proving himself for France if he isn’t at his best.

It’s tough because he’s coming off a fantastic year at Palace. FA Cup winner, big goals, helped the club reach Europe—it’s been a dream run. But now he might have to go back to Selhurst Park, even though he’s made it clear he’s had enough and wants out.

Honestly, it feels like only a matter of time before he leaves. His contract runs out next summer, and Palace can’t risk losing him for nothing. They’ve already watched Marc Guehi go to Man City for a bargain, just because his deal was running down.

Now Mateta has to sit down with Palace and the doctors to figure out what to do about his knee. Surgery would sideline him for months, probably killing his World Cup chances.

He’s gutted about Milan falling through, especially after Juventus cooled their interest and Nottingham Forest had an offer turned down. Over the weekend, he even unfollowed Palace on Instagram and posted a fed-up emoji. No one really knows if he’ll even make the squad for the Brighton game.

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