Jean-Philippe Mateta accuses Crystal Palace of 'broken promises' as Chelsea join Aston Villa & Juventus in transfer race

Multiple reports have suggested Mateta has soured on remaining in south London. Sky Sports report that the striker wanted to leave Selhurst Park last summer when he was linked with a number of clubs. Discussions over a new contract towards the end of 2025 proved unfruitful, with the player deciding his future laid elsewhere. The 28-year-old's deal runs out in the summer of 2027. 

Per The Times, Juventus tabled a loan approach for Mateta, that would have seen the striker depart for Turin until the end of the season for a loan fee of £1.7m, plus an additional £24m to make the deal permanent if they qualified for European competition. Palace rejected the offer, and are believed to have slapped a price tag of £35m on the player. 

The Old Lady are in need of attacking reinforcements thanks to Dusan Vlahovic's injury woes, and his own dwindling contract. The Serbian striker has been out of action since November with a shoulder injury. He is expected to return in March, however his deal with the 36-time Italian champions also expires at the end of the season. 

Aston Villa have also emerged as a potential landing spot. The Villans have been heavily linked to a reunion with Tammy Abraham who is currently on loan at Besiktas from Roma, but are also interested in Mateta as they look to bolster their attacking stocks. Unai Emery's side sent Donyell Malen out on loan to Roma last week, 

While Manchester United were heavily linked with the Frenchman during last summer's transfer window, the departure of Ruben Amorim and their near £200m outlay on Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko and Bryan Mbeumo makes an approach in January unlikely. 

Meanwhile, Football Transfers report that Chelsea are the latest club to make contact with Mateta's camp.

The ex-Mainz striker is seemingly following his former captain and manager out of the door. Earlier this month, Palace agreed a transfer to send Marc Guehi to Manchester City for a cut rate fee of £20m as the England international entered the final six months of his deal with the Eagles. 

Shortly after, FA Cup-winning manager Oliver Glasner announced he would be departing the club once his deal concludes in the summer. The Austrian was reportedly angered by the club's decision to allow Eberechi Eze to join Arsenal, as well as permitting Guehi to exit the club for Liverpool at the end of the summer transfer window - the floated £35m switch was eventually blocked by club chairman Steve Parish. 

Ahead of a recent trip to Sunderland, Glasner said he felt "abandoned" by the club's hierarchy. The outburst prompted Parish to consider relieving the ex-Eintracht Frankfurt coach of his duties, before agreeing Glasner would see out the remainder of his deal. 

Glasner's coaching of Mateta has proven to unlock the Frenchman's career. Initially joining on loan from Mainz in January 2021 before signing with the Eagles in a deal worth £15m, the Frenchman struggled for form. Since Glasner took over at Palace in February 2024, only Manchester City's Erling Haaland (59) and Liverpool's Mohamed Salah (36) have bagged more goals than Mateta (34) in the Premier League. 

With Glasner now on the way out of the club, it seems any lingering allegiance Mateta felt towards the Selhurst Park club have now completely gone. It seems unlikely that Parish will allow Palace to get into a similarly perilous contract situation as they did with Guehi, but he is certainly no push over. Any club that wants to secure the Frenhcman's services in this window will likely need to meet the club's reported valuation of £35m, or wait until the summer.