Aston Villa and Newcastle United will target Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta when the transfer window re-opens in January, according to a report.
Mateta has been one of the most consistent strikers in the Premier League over the last year and a half.
The Frenchman scored 17 goals across all competitions last season as the Eagles won the FA Cup and finished 12th in the Premier League.
He bagged 19 goals in 39 matches in 2023/24 but didn’t catch fire until the second half of that campaign.
His first of 16 Premier League goals came in December, before scoring 14 in Palace’s last 16 league games and ending the season with a hat-trick against Aston Villa.
Mateta has been unstoppable under head coach Oliver Glasner, who replaced Roy Hodgson, and is the only manager in the club’s history to lead them to a major trophy.
Only four permanent managers have a better win percentage than the Austrian (46.27%), but he lost star player Ebere Eze in the summer transfer window, while Marc Guehi is playing his final year at the club with his contract set to expire next summer.
Guehi came agonisingly close to joining Liverpool on Deadline Day, while Mateta was also linked with an exit in the summer.
The 28-year-old didn’t push for a transfer despite reported interest from Premier League clubs, though nothing appeared to be advanced.
Newcastle were desperately chasing strikers for most of the summer after Alexander Isak asked to leave, ending up with Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa after failing to land Jorgen Strand Larsen, Hugo Ekitike or Benjamin Sesko.
Despite adding Wissa and Woltemade — and Aston Villa paying a significant amount for Nice striker Evann Guessand — both teams are again being linked with Mateta.
According to CaughtOffside, there’s a ‘fierce transfer battle’ on the cards, with Leeds United also plotting an ambitious swoop for the experienced striker.
The report says Palace will ‘demand’ at least £40million, with interest from rival clubs prompting them to ‘significantly increase their valuation’.
Under contract until 2027, the Londoners are in a strong position, though talks over an extension have been ‘unproductive’ due to Eze’s departure, Guehi’s uncertain future, and Glasner’s long-term position as head coach still unclear.
Villa, Leeds and Newcastle are set to ‘test Palace’s resolve’ as a result, with a plan to ‘maintain pressure’ in the winter transfer window to potentially force a sale.
Newcastle’s rationale for signing Mateta is that they want another ‘proven Premier League option’, while Villa boss Unai Emery wants more depth to help ‘push for a Champions League spot’. Both clubs have apparently put the striker ‘top of their January shortlist’.
Leeds, meanwhile, ‘are determined to strengthen their strike force as part of their long-term rebuilding project’.
It was a disappointing end to the window for the Whites, who look short of depth in attack.
Mateta has the potential to be a game-changer for Daniel Farke — but at this stage, he feels like a wildly unrealistic target.
