Man United
Mick Brown
Thu 13 February 2025 20:00, UK
Man United are unlikely to be among clubs pursuing a deal to sign Crystal Palace star Jean-Philippe Mateta, according to their former chief scout.
Mick Brown, who spent over a decade at Old Trafford during the club’s most successful period and remains very well-connected there, exclusively told Football Insider that the 27-year-old is not one of the names near the top of United’s shortlist.
Mateta has scored 13 goals in 29 games for Palace this season, including six in his last five Premier League games and two in a 2-0 win at Old Trafford last time out.
However, United are expected to be aiming higher in their ambitions to sign a new number nine, with the likes of Harry Kane and Viktor Gyokeres heavily linked.
Brown told Football Insider in January that Gyokeres remains the number-one target for Ruben Amorim, although the 26-year-old’s price tag is a concern.
Mateta, meanwhile, remains a crucial player under Oliver Glasner at Palace, and the Eagles are very reluctant to entertain talks about his potential departure.
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The Frenchman’s current deal at Selhurst Park is set to run until 2026, and Brown has tipped the club to ensure they tie him down to new terms soon.
Man United make Jean-Philippe Mateta decision after contract latest
Brown previously told Football Insider that Crystal Palace are set to pull out all the stops to keep Mateta at the club amid growing interest in his signature.
Now, the former scout who has a wealth of experience in top-level player recruitment and also worked for the likes of Tottenham, West Ham and Aston Villa, has echoed those thoughts as he insisted he would be “shocked” to see Palace let him leave.
“I think he’s done extremely well for Crystal Palace,” he told Football Insider.
“And I think Crystal Palace know that, so it’s very important for them to get him tied down.
Crystal Palace
“I’m not quite convinced he’s a Manchester United player, it’s a whole different ball game.
“You can be a hero down in South London, but then you come to Old Trafford and the fans expect a certain pedigree – rightly or wrongly – that’s just how it is.
“When you’re looking at their list of targets, you’ve got Harry Kane, you’ve got [Viktor] Gyokeres, and then there’s Mateta and as good as he’s been, there’s a bit of a gap there.
“I don’t mean to discredit him in any way, he’s done a magnificent job for Crystal Palace.
“So I would be shocked if Crystal Palace were willing to let him go in the summer.
“But I don’t think he’s one of the names Man United are going to be looking at.”
Man United
(Credit: Getty Images)
INEOS aiming higher as Harry Kane deal now on cards
After Brown’s reveal that United are set to look higher than Mateta in their pursuit of a new striker, Kane has emerged as their top target for the role.
The England international has a £54million release clause in his Bayern Munich contract which is set to become active in the summer, placing clubs on red alert.
Brown told Football Insider on 12 February that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS want to make Kane a statement signing and will push to get the deal over the line.
However, Brown raised concerns about whether Kane would be a good fit for Ruben Amorim’s side and called for the manager to have the final say on the deal.
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