Watch out, Nottingham Forest! AC Milan reach 'preliminary agreement' to sign Jean-Philippe Mateta from Crystal Palace

Nottingham Forest’s ambitious transfer plans have been thrown into chaos following a decisive intervention from Italy. According to a breaking report from Gianluca Di Marzio, AC Milan have successfully negotiated a verbal agreement in principle with Crystal Palace for the transfer of Mateta.

The negotiations, which reportedly accelerated rapidly during the night, were driven personally by Milan CEO Furlani. The Italian giants identified Mateta as a priority target and acted swiftly to beat the competition from Forest, who have been heavily linked with the 28-year-old throughout the January window.

While Forest had appeared to be in pole position to keep Mateta in the Premier League, Milan’s prestige and the allure of Champions League football appear to have turned the tide. The report confirms earlier suggestions from journalist Sacha Tavolieri that the Rossoneri were preparing a move, but the speed at which a verbal accord was reached has caught many by surprise. By securing this preliminary agreement, Milan have effectively blocked Forest’s path, placing themselves at the front of the queue for the Frenchman’s signature.

Despite the breakthrough in talks between the two clubs, Di Marzio reports that a significant question mark remains over when Mateta will actually arrive at the San Siro. While the agreement on the transfer fee and terms is in place, it is not clear whether the operation can be finalised before Monday’s transfer deadline or if this is a strategic play to secure him for the summer.

Milan are keen to bring the striker in immediately to bolster their Serie A campaign, but the logistics of a deadline-day move are complex. The verbal agreement acts as a form of insurance for Milan, ensuring that even if the clock runs out on a January switch, they have effectively reserved the player for June, preventing him from joining a rival like Forest in the interim.

However, the preference remains a winter move. The club hierarchy is working around the clock to convert this verbal understanding into a signed contract, but several moving parts must align perfectly in the coming hours for Mateta to be unveiled as a Milan player this month.

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Two major hurdles stand between the verbal agreement and a completed transfer. The first, according to the Italian report, involves an outgoing at Milan. The arrival of Mateta is intrinsically linked to the exit of Christopher Nkunku, who has scored four goals in 16 Serie A games since joining on loan from Chelsea. The complexities of balancing the squad list and wage bill mean that Milan must facilitate a departure to make room for their new target man.

Furthermore, the Eagles have made it clear that they will not sanction Mateta’s departure until they have secured a successor. With the window closing rapidly, Palace are in a race against time to bring in a new number nine.

Unless Steve Parrish and the Palace board can sign a striker in the next 72 hours, they may be forced to delay Mateta’s move until the summer, holding him to his contract to ensure they are not left short-handed for the remainder of the Premier League season.

The news comes as a bitter pill for Forest, who had identified Mateta as the ideal profile to lead their line. Forest must now decide whether to launch a desperate counter-offer to try and sway Palace and the player, or pivoted immediately to alternative targets. With Milan having done the groundwork and secured a verbal pact, Forest’s chances of landing Mateta look increasingly slim.

For Milan, this is seen as a significant market victory. Whether he arrives now or in June, they have seemingly secured a proven scorer and beaten a Premier League club to the punch, validating their aggressive transfer strategy.