Jean-Philippe Mateta famous with his teammates of Crystal Palace. (Photo of Alex Livesey / Getty Images)
Crystal Palace had a busy summer during which they managed to avoid losing a single player: Ebelechi Eze, who joined Arsenal. People like Marc Guehi, Adam Wharton and Jean-Philippe Mateta are still in Selhurst Park, although this is not the case in 12 months.
Guehi should leave next summer when his contract expires, while Wharton aroused a strong interest from Liverpool and Real Madrid. And in the case of Mateta, he could also leave.
Crystal Palace will offer a new contract to Jean-Philippe Mateta
Crystal Palace wants to ensure that their star striker remains, in a context of interest in Aston Villa and Newcastle. And they hope to ensure his continuity by accepting a new contract with him, as Mick Brown revealed to Football Insider.
“We know how important Mateta is for Crystal Palace. He leads the line for them so well, holds the ball, brings his teammates to the match and he also obtains a few goals for them.
“After losing Eze and it seems that they will also lose Guehi at some point, they cannot afford to continue to leave their best players.
“By losing one, they can manage, maybe even losing two if they get the right replacements. Start losing three or four, they will have real problems. It is therefore not surprising that they refused Mateta’s offers during the summer, especially late in the window, and I expect them to be focused on keeping it.
“They want to give him a new contract, and it’s just to say that he probably deserves one. It is something that they have to do urgently, to make sure that he is attached and there is no doubt in his future because they cannot afford to lose it.”
It remains to be seen if Mateta would be willing to sign a new agreement with Crystal Palace, but it would not be surprising that his decision was influenced by the way this season takes place.
