Nottingham Forest Bids £35m for Crystal Palace Striker Jean-Philippe Mateta
Nottingham Forest has submitted a bid of £35 million (approximately $48 million) for Jean-Philippe Mateta, currently playing for Crystal Palace. While Nottingham Forest is optimistic about securing personal terms with the 28-year-old striker, Crystal Palace values Mateta closer to £40 million ($54.8 million) and is only willing to entertain offers if they can find a suitable replacement.
Crystal Palace’s Stance on Mateta
The club from South London is actively exploring various forward options, including Jorgen Strand Larsen from Wolverhampton Wanderers. Recently, Aston Villa also showed interest in Mateta, considering a swap deal involving their player Evann Guessand. Meanwhile, Villa is nearing the acquisition of Tammy Abraham from Besiktas.
International Interest and Performance
Italian club Juventus has also inquired about Mateta; however, they deemed Palace’s asking price unrealistic due to Mateta’s age and the remaining time on his contract. Mateta has been a consistent performer this season, starting all 23 Premier League games for Crystal Palace and scoring eight goals. Nonetheless, he has struggled recently, netting only twice in his last 11 appearances.
Nottingham Forest’s Transfer Activity
Nottingham Forest is pursuing several options to enhance its attacking front, especially since top scorer Chris Wood is sidelined due to a knee injury. Additionally, Arnaud Kalimuendo, who joined Forest for £26 million last summer, has been loaned out to Eintracht Frankfurt. The club is also interested in Olympiacos’ Mehdi Taremi and Wolverhampton’s Strand Larsen.
Club Dynamics and Rivalry
The potential departure of Mateta would mark another significant moment for Crystal Palace, who recently lost club captain Marc Guehi to Manchester City for about £20 million. In recent statements, Palace’s manager emphasized that Mateta has not requested a transfer, highlighting that he will remain unless a fitting replacement is secured.
Upcoming Matches
Nottingham Forest is set to face Crystal Palace this Sunday in a Premier League match. The rivalry has intensified over the past year, particularly following Palace’s relegation from the Europa League due to UEFA’s multi-club ownership rule breaches. Nottingham Forest, which submitted a letter to UEFA seeking clarity, ultimately replaced Palace in the Europa League.
Mateta’s proven scoring ability in the Premier League makes him a valuable target for Nottingham Forest. Despite recent improvements in their scoring, the team remains among the lowest scorers in the league, which highlights the urgency in securing a player like Mateta.
