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Barcelona considering shock move for Crystal Palace hero this summer
The Eagles man would surely be tempted.
Barcelona have Crystal Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta on their list of transfer targets as they draw up plans for the summer, according to reports in Spain.
Mateta has been in impressive form for a long time now after a slow start to his life in the Premier League.
The Frenchman joined the Eagles in January 2021 and had a pretty forgettable time until the 2023/24 season when he burst into life.
He scored 16 league goals from December-May, enjoying a hot streak which has continued this campaign, scoring 10 goals so far this season.
His form last season earned himself a place in the France Olympic team, scoring five goals in the Games on the way to the final, where Spain narrowly triumphed.
His form over the last 14 months has caught the eye of bigger clubs, notably Barcelona, with Spanish publication Fichajes reporting that he has emerged as a transfer target for the Catalan giants.
Robert Lewandowski is still going strong at 36 years old, but Barca want another option up front to provide competition and allow them to rest the legendary Pole.
Mateta’s contract at Selhurst Park runs until the summer of 2027 but Barca see him as an affordable move they will be able to pull off in the next transfer window.
The 27-year-old is enjoying a fabulous spell in a Crystal Palace shirt, but if Barcelona do come calling it is hard to imagine him turning them down.
The Eagles centre-forward was the hero as they beat Manchester United 2-0 at Old Trafford last weekend, with the Frenchman scoring both goals.
Speaking after the game his manager, Oliver Glasner, said: ‘We don’t always talk because he knows what we demand of him. With his two goals today, he is amazing in the box.
‘He has the feeling that a number nine must have in the box. He makes so many runs where he doesn’t get the ball. You need to suffer as a striker because you make so many runs where you don’t get the ball. He gets the reward and it decides the game for us.’
Crystal Palace triggered an extension in Mateta’s contract in December, which saw it extended until 2027, but negotiations had been ongoing over a new deal.
A compromise was not reached as the Eagles would not meet his demands, but talks may commence again in future.
