Aston Villa in luck as 16-goal striker ‘open’ to transfer following Crystal Palace talks

The Villans hold an interest in Mateta and could reportedly make a move after the striker hit two major obstacles in contract talks with Palace.

This is according to Express Sport, with a report on Wednesday stating Mateta’s negotiations with Palace have struck a brick wall. The attacker, who recently claimed a silver medal with France at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, failed to agree terms on wages and a possible release clause.

Mateta wants to play in the Champions League and believes he has the capability of doing so after a stellar 2023/24 campaign. The 27-year-old scored 16 goals and made five assists in 25 Premier League appearances last term, including a hat-trick against Villa on the final day. He also netted three times in just two Carabao Cup outings.

It took a while for Mateta to live up to expectations in a Palace shirt as he scored just five goals in his debut Premier League season and only twice in the campaign following. Oliver Glasner’s arrival as head coach at the turn of this year has really helped the striker break through as one of the English top flight’s most prolific forwards.

Villa are already well-stocked in the striker department with England international Ollie Watkins leading the line most weeks, while Colombian wonderkid Jhon Duran is a clinical deputy. Unai Emery recently cooled speculation over a potential departure for Duran but he could still leave if a suitable offer arrives.

Birmingham World understands the Villans’ priority for the rest of the summer does not lie in attack, but Emery is still keen on adding depth if possible. With Palace seeing Mateta as indispensable, it could be tricky to strike a deal. But anything can of course happen in the transfer window, especially as Mateta has less than two years left on his deal.