Crystal Palace are reportedly poised to sign Jean-Philippe Mateta permanently in a €10 million deal following his impressive recent form.
According to Foot Mercato, Premier League side Crystal Palace are convinced by on-loan attacker Jean-Philippe Mateta and are set to secure his services in a deal worth €10 million.
The 24-year-old is currently on an 18-month loan at Selhurst Park from Bundesliga side Mainz. The French striker is currently a year in and has made 16 appearances, scoring three goals and providing one assist. While the numbers are far from exemplary, he has seemingly done enough to convince Palace to make the move permanent.
Primarily a centre-forward, Mateta can also play on the right flank when needed. It is worth noting that the Frenchman has not been at his absolute best at Selhurst Park. At just 24, he still has time to turn his fortunes around under Patrick Vieria and could reinvent himself as a top-level player.
Palace have enjoyed success under Vieira this season and have looked a much better side on the field. Despite their improvement, they have been found wanting in attack this season. Christian Benteke is a shadow of his former self, while Odsonne Edouard and Mateta have been grossly inconsistent.
The Eagles have vastly improved in terms of their creativity, but they continue to struggle given the lack of a clinical presence up front. As things stand, the Londoners are in the market for a striker. Whether signing Mateta permanently puts an end to their pursuit remains to be seen.
Palace turning Mateta’s stay permanent in a €10 million deal would have been unthinkable just a few months ago. The player looked close to ending his stay in the English capital and heading to France with Saint-Etienne. Thankfully for him, a fine run of form during the festive season has earned him a new lease of life at Selhurst Park.
With Crystal Palace set to exercise their option to make the deal permanent, Mateta looks likely to continue as a Palace player for the near future. He still has six months to go on his loan deal, giving the Premier League side enough time to get the deal over the line.
Mateta might not be the most prolific of players, but he can thrive in the right system under proper guidance. Whether Vieira is the man to get the best out of him at Palace remains to be seen.