A late Tottenham approach for ‘one of the best No.9s in the Premier League’ has been revealed by insider Kaveh Solhekol, amid interest from multiple other clubs.
Spurs spent the final few weeks of the summer going after a striker. They lost stalwart Son Heung-min to the MLS, as he decided to join LAFC after finally winning a trophy – the Europa League – with Tottenham last season.
They ended the summer by signing Paris Saint-Germain striker Randal Kolo Muani on loan.
But TEAMtalk is aware they were also going after Ademola Lookman, while Sky Sports insider Solhekol has revealed Jean-Philippe Mateta ‘attracted a lot of interest,’ with Tottenham one of the clubs going after him.
Solkehol wrote on X: ‘There was also a late enquiry – but no bid – from Tottenham Hotspur before they signed Randal Kolo Muani on loan from Paris Saint-Germain on deadline day. Atalanta, AC Milan, Juventus and several Premier League clubs were also linked with moves for Mateta.
‘Mateta has established himself as one of the best No. 9s in the Premier League and he remained totally committed to training and playing for Palace throughout the summer despite the interest from other clubs.’
It is not clear what Spurs would have been willing to pay for Mateta, but the striker has remain at Crystal Palace in any case.
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More interest in Mateta
TEAMtalk revealed over the course of the summer some of the other clubs who wanted to sign Mateta.
Atalanta and Newcastle United were two of the clubs going after the Frenchman.
In June, we also reported that Mateta was on the radar of Bournemouth, as was Palace team-mate Marc Guehi.
He, too, remained at Selhurst Park over the summer, with Solhekol reporting: ‘Palace chairman Steve Parish made the decision to pull the plug on Marc Guehi’s £35m transfer to Liverpool at 4pm on deadline day because Palace could not sign a replacement.
‘Parish showed respect for his captain by explaining why he made the call in face-to-face talks with Guehi and his family later in the evening, after the window closed at 7pm.’
Tottenham round-up: Gibbs-White U-turn?
It has been suggested that Tottenham target Morgan Gibbs-White’s decision to remain with Nottingham Forest is not ‘set in stone,’ with an ‘assessment’ coming in January.
Spurs will be waiting in the wings for if he makes a U-turn on his future.
Meanwhile, Tottenham, along with Liverpool and Newcastle, will threaten Brighton for their centre-back, Jan Paul van Hecke, in 2026.
And, a late summer attempt from Spurs to sign Palace midfielder Adam Wharton has been revealed, with neither the Eagles nor the midfielder open to the move.
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