Tottenham edge closer to signing Crystal Palace star after £28m deal agreed
Tottenham have been boosted in their pursuit of Crystal Palace star Jean-Philippe Mateta as the Eagles close in on signing Aston Villa’s Evann Guessand.
Palace have agreed a deal to sign Guessand on an initial loan deal with a £28million obligation to buy if certain conditions are met, with the deal now close to completion.
As I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the signing of a new striker at Selhurst Park could accelerate plans for Mateta‘s exit.
Tottenham have been long-term admirers of the 28-year-old after failing with a late bid to sign him during the summer transfer window when Palace turned them down.
However, they are now receiving encouragement that a deal could be done this month thanks to the Eagles’ late-window transfer activity.
Crystal Palace deal set to accelerate Jean-Philippe Mateta exit
Palace had also reportedly agreed a £50million fee to sign Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen, but that deal is now at risk of collapse after a twist in the late stages.
The Eagles’ pursuit of new forwards comes after Football Insider first revealed in October that Mateta would not sign a new contract at Selhurst Park.
The France international is unhappy at Crystal Palace, placing a number of clubs including Tottenham on alert as he continues to push for a move away this month.
Speaking on the Inside Track podcast, I explained: “If Palace do get a deal done for Jorgen Strand Larsen or another striker, it could potentially open the door for them to sell Mateta.
“We know Mateta is unsettled at Selhurst Park, he’s turned down the offer of a new deal, there have been offers for Juventus which have been rejected.
“There’s a lot of dominoes to fall into place if Tottenham are to follow up their interest.
“We know they are long-term admirers of Mateta, they looked at him in the summer window with a cheeky late offer which was quickly rejected by Palace.
“Thomas Frank’s side would be interested in bolstering their attacking options, but it might depend on some outgoings at Tottenham.
“Whether they would be willing to go to the £40million asking price that Palace are demanding, that remains to be seen at the moment.”
Randal Kolo Muani update emerges at Tottenham
Mateta’s move to Spurs could also be accelerated by late departures from North London, with Juventus plotting a move to re-sign Randal Kolo Muani.
The 27-year-old is currently on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, but has interest from Juventus and would be interested in returning to Turin this January.
Football Insider revealed on 30 January that Tottenham could let Kolo Muani leave if they can lined up a deal for Mateta, with lots of moving parts in their plans.
Tottenham fans have criticised Kolo Muani this season, with the suggestion that he doesn’t want to be at Spurs and would prefer to make a return to Juventus.
The Italian giants are keen to take over his loan deal and believe he ticks plenty of boxes, after themselves missing out on a deal for Mateta.
For more Tottenham and exclusive news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.