Nottingham Forest have made a £35 million bid to sign Jean-Philippe Mateta, with personal terms not considered an issue with the Frenchman.
According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, Nottingham Forest have launched a £35 million offer to sign Jean-Philippe Mateta. Personal terms with the 28-year-old are not considered a problem for the Midlands side, although Crystal Palace are demanding at least £40 million and will need to sign a replacement.
Jean-Philippe Mateta’s future is a big source of concern over at Selhurst Park, with he player keen to make the move away from the club and take on a new challenge. The 28-year-old key star did attract plenty of suitors, including the likes of Aston Villa and Juventus in recent days.
Juventus have since cooled their interest after failing to agree on Palace’s terms to sign the striker, while Aston Villa have since agreed a deal for former Chelsea star Tammy Abraham. Palace had been hoping to keep hold of Mateta this month, but should the conditions of a sale be met by a suitor, the Frenchman might depart.
Nottingham Forest have made a £35 million bid to test the waters, as personal issues with the Frenchman are not seen as an issue. There’s probably a willingness from Forest and Mateta to get the deal done, but convincing Palace would be key.
Palace are demanding £40 million to sell Mateta, as well as on the condition that they sign a replacement beforehand. With the time remaining in the window, there’s still a strong possibility a sale to Forest might go through, but Sean Dyche’s side may have to come up with an improved offer near to the Eagles’ valuation of the player.
Why are Nottingham Forest signing Mateta?
Forest have made the move for Maateta in the hope of improving their strike force. The club are the second worst scorers in the Premier League, as they would require goals to comfortably beat any relegation threat looming over them. Moreover, they have also allowed summer signing Arnaud Kalimuendo to join Eintracht Frankfurt on loan, although they have signed Napoli striker Lorenzo Lucca on loan.
They currently have Taiwo Awonyi and Igor Jesus as their main strikers, while the addition of Lucca and, potentially even Mateta, would give Dyche more options. It remains to be seen whether Forest returns with an improved bid closer to Palace’s valuation, as the chances of Mateta leaving this month remain on the fence.
