Crystal Palace could be set to sell one of their first-team stars early next year, with a reliable journalist revealing that he’s attracting interest ahead of January.
Crystal Palace's summer departures
The Eagles lost Wilfried Zaha, Luka Milivojevic, Jack Butland and Vicente Guaita during the previous transfer window, while James McArthur retired and Luke Plange was sent on loan to Carlisle United for the season.
The Selhurst Park outfit have a further eight players who will have reached the expiration of their deals at the end of the campaign, so the club don’t have long to cash in on them should they not want to risk losing their prized assets for free. (Crystal Palace contracts)
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BySean Markus Clifford
Roy Hodgson’s centre-forward Jean-Philippe Mateta is another star who could soon be heading for the exit door having fallen significantly out of favour, making just three starts and eight substitute appearances this season in the Premier League (WhoScored – Mateta statistics).
France’s former youth international wanted to leave over the summer and you could say he was right to feel that way given his lack of game time, but despite a deal failing to come to fruition before the deadline, the 26-year-old could get his wish in the coming weeks.
Jean-Philippe Mateta could soon leave
Taking to X, The Athletic’s Matt Woosnam confirmed that Crystal Palace might consider selling Mateta in the new year should they be able to recruit a suitable successor because he’s emerging as a target overseas ahead of January. He wrote:
“Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta's future is uncertain as he seeks more regular football after being overlooked by Roy Hodgson this season. Has attracted interest from abroad but a move away probably hinges on CPFC finding a replacement.”
Hodgson could keep "goal threat" in Mateta
While Crystal Palace will be aware that Mateta hasn’t been playing as regularly as he would have liked, the striker is still a solid option to have in the building and he can perform to a high standard when called upon, so Hodgson could be better off retaining his services beyond January if a suitable replacement isn't found.
The Sevran native has posted six contributions, three goals and the same number of assists, in 13 appearances across all competitions since the start of the season (Transfermarkt – Mateta statistics), showing that he is capable of making a positive impact in the final third.
Standing at 6 foot 3, the colossus also provides a real physical presence up top with his height, making himself a threat when it comes to aerial duels, not to mention how much of a handful he is for the opposition’s defence to try and deal with.
According to Josh Bunting, Mateta is a real “goal threat” with the ball at his disposal, whereas former boss Patrick Vieira once called him a "massive player", so Hodgson could be wise to consider giving him some more minutes between now and the upcoming window to hand him the chance to prove what he can achieve in SE25.
