Forward looking for January exit as Crystal Palace ‘don’t want him anymore’
Out-of-favour Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta is looking for a way out of Selhurst Park with a loan move to AS Saint-Etienne in the pipeline.
Mateta has only two appearances to his name this season. He started the first game of the season against Chelsea, but was hooked on 57 minutes of the 3-0 defeat. And he has hardly been seen since under Patrick Vieira. In fact he’s managed just four minutes as a sub in the October draw with Newcastle.
Paris-born Mateta, 24, arrived on loan from Mainz last January. He had been impressing in the German Bundesliga for Mainz with 10 goals in 17 appearances.
But he struggled to replicate his form in England. He was handed seven appearances last season and scored once.
But things have got worse for Mateta under Vieira this season and the two compatriots, apparently, do not see eye to eye.
Foot Mercato, via Sport Witness report that Palace and Vieira “don’t want him anymore” and Mateta is “looking for a new destination”.
Mateta has already spoken to new Saint-Etienne boss Pascal Dupraz as he lines up a January move.
However, financially the Ligue 1 club may well struggle to put together a deal for the player.
Per the report, the French club “only want to put up 30% of the player’s salary estimated at €45k/week”.
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Mateta exit to free up loan slot
It’s understood Palace will not stand in the way of cancelling the player’s loan deal six months ahead of schedule.
TEAMtalk reported in August that Vieira was pondering whether to end Mateta’s loan move. There is an option to make the deal permanent in 2022, but after an underwhelming time in the capital that is not on the agenda.
Instead it looks more likely that his temporary deal will be cancelled in January. That will allow the player to negotiate a deal elsewhere, while it will also free up a loan place for Vieira at Selhurst Park.
Only two loans are permitted in Premier League squads. And Palace already have Chelsea’s Connor Gallagher on loan until next summer.
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