Crystal Palace ‘make plan to keep Jean-Philippe Mateta after contract talks collapse’
Crystal Palace are still determined to keep hold of Jean-Philippe Mateta and remain hopeful of doing so despite contract talks falling through.
That is according to former Man United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that there is still a belief the 28-year-old could be convinced to sign new terms.
Mateta remains a crucial part of Oliver Glasner‘s plans for the future, but his contract is set to expire in 2027, and Palace could be forced to cash in if he doesn’t commit to new terms.
This comes amid disagreements over the striker’s wages, with a major discrepancy between the offer on the table and his lofty demands following his France call-up.
Meanwhile, Football Insider revealed in October that Crystal Palace could be forced to accept offers for Mateta if his contract talks continue to stall.
Crystal Palace still hope to agree Jean-Philippe Mateta deal
Brown told Football Insider last month that Crystal Palace are determined to extend Mateta’s contract and first held talks with the striker over a year ago.
The former scout, who has a wealth of experience in top-level player recruitment after over a decade at Man United during their most successful period, insisted that the Eagles’ stance has not changed and they remain hopeful of agreeing terms.
“This isn’t going to change Palace’s stance,” he told Football Insider.
“He’s been an important player for them both on and off the pitch, so they still want him to sign a new contract and they hope they can come to an agreement.
“The dispute over wages, it’s always a difficult one because the club will have a limit of how high they’re willing to go and they’ll want to stand by that.
“It could create new problems because if they go over the top for one player, all of a sudden they get others knocking on the door asking for the same.
“So it will depend on whether they can reach a compromise, but as I say, it’s definitely something Palace still want to do, it’s just about how they do it.
“They’ll be making plans, whether it’s to do with money, maybe they bring players in to show him they want to be ambitious, that type of thing.
“Ultimately it will depend on the player, if he’s holding out for the money he knows he’s not going to get, and maybe he does fancy a move elsewhere.”
Clubs keeping tabs on Mateta’s contract situation
Football Insider warned on 6 December that Crystal Palace could be forced to sell Mateta in the summer if he does not commit to new terms soon.
The striker’s current deal is set to run until 2027, but this summer will be seen as the last chance to make money from his sale as they avoid a repeat of Marc Guehi’s situation.
Mateta was subject to a number of offers during the summer, with Tottenham, Liverpool and Atalanta all making moves throughout the window.
Liverpool held talks with Mateta’s representatives, while Tottenham saw a late enquiry dismissed, and Atalanta saw a £30million offer turned down.
The France international is expected to have no shortage of suitors, further complicating Palace’s situation if they plan to keep hold of him beyond the summer.
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