Jean-Philippe Mateta ‘wants to leave’ Crystal Palace as Aston Villa transfer interest continues to intensify
Aston Villa are pushing to sign a striker in this window to boost their hopes of European qualification
Highly-rated Crystal Palace frontman Jean-Philippe Mateta has informed the club that he ‘wants to leave’ in January for a new challenge, amid growing reports of interest from Champions League hopefuls Aston Villa.
The French international’s admission comes as the latest in a long line of setbacks for the capital side this month after club captain Marc Guehi’s January transfer to Manchester City and manager Oliver Glasner’s decision to step down upon the conclusion of the season.
The FA Cup holders are also already out of the competition they won last year following a shock defeat to National League North side Macclesfield Town, while their league form has plummeted dramatically since their 19-match unbeaten run was ended by Everton in October. Palace also finished outside the top eight in the Conference League, meaning a two-match play-off is on the horizon.
Mateta has been in formidable form in front of goal since Glasner’s appointment and is set to be the subject of strong interest from both Villa and Juventus, according to Sky Sports.
Why Mateta ‘wants to leave’ Crystal Palace
Mateta has scored 56 goals in 185 appearances for Palace, helping the club to FA Cup and Community Shield triumphs at Wembley in 2025. However, it’s reported that he’s keen to seek a new challenge which will see him compete in a top European competition on a regular basis while increasing his chances of playing for the French national team.
Mateta’s future at Palace has been uncertain since the summer. The Eagles wanted to tie the striker down to a contract beyond his current expiration date of 2028 but were unable to persuade the striker to sign a fresh deal.
Sky Sports, however, adds that Palace aren’t actively looking to sell the striker anytime soon, adding that it would require a significant offer from one of the interested parties to prise the player away from Selhurst Park.
Mateta has started all 22 league matches this season and has scored eight goals, although it’s worth noting he’s been on a slight dip lately with only one strike in his last eight matches.
Mateta presents possible alternative to Tammy Abraham
Aston Villa are keen to sign a striker this window and are thought to be progressing well in their attempts to sign Tammy Abraham for a second time following his successful loan spell in the West Midlands eight seasons ago.
Abraham is likely to be a cheaper option than Mateta due to his struggles with injuries in recent years, and is also likely to be more open to the idea of competing with Ollie Watkins for a starting position.
Reports suggest Abraham is open to the idea of moving to Villa, the same applies to his parent club AS Roma, who see this as the right time to cash in. The problem, however, lies with Besiktas where the striker is currently on loan with an option to buy.
Therefore any deal to sign Watkins is likely to be based on an agreement between Villa and the Turkish club, which is expected to be either financial or potentially with a player going in the opposite direction.