Two top clubs have joined the race for Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, who remains a target for Manchester United, TEAMtalk understands.
The 27-year-old Palace star has had an awe-inspiring season, notching 14 goals in 35 Premier League games. Mateta has also played a role in helping Oliver Glasner’s side reach the FA Cup final, in which they face Manchester City on Saturday.
Mateta’s performances have captured the attention of many clubs. TEAMtalk reported on April 5 that Man Utd, Nottingham Forest, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid are all monitoring the French forward. However, two more European giants have now joined the race.
TEAMtalk can exclusively reveal that Inter and AC Milan are now considering moves for Mateta. The Italian clubs are actively searching for attacking options: Inter are set to part ways with Joaquin Correa and Marko Arnautovic, while Milan are planning a full rebuild of their offensive line this summer.
We understand that, in recent days, Inter and Milan have gathered important details about Mateta and his availability. And what’s more, sources state that Palace would reluctantly sell the in-form striker for around €35m (£29.4m).
Palace, for their part, are actively scouting for potential replacements as they anticipate Mateta’s departure.
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Italian giants plot moves for Jean-Philippe Mateta
TEAMtalk understands that Mateta is open to taking on a new challenge next season. He wants to play in European competitions, to increase his chances of making France’s 2026 World Cup squad.
Inter have already qualified for the Champions League, while Milan are fighting to secure a European spot in the Coppa Italia final, in which they face Bologna tonight, and their last Serie A matches.
As for Man Utd, a new striker remains a top priority for them in the upcoming transfer window and Mateta is one of the targets who has been looked at by director of recruitment Christopher Vivell and technical director Jason Wilcox.
It’s no secret that Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap is also on Man Utd’s shortlist, along with Wolves star Matheus Cunha, as the club plan to back manager Ruben Amorim with new additions this summer.
Like with Delap, Man Utd’s chances of signing Mateta may hinge upon whether they can beat Tottenham in the Europa League final, which would grant them entry to the Champions League next season.
With all this in mind, everything points towards Mateta joining a top side playing in Europe next season and Italian rivals Inter and Milan are two clubs to watch closely in the race.
Both the Nerazzurri and Rossoneri believe Mateta’s profile would fit the Serie A perfectly.
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