Crystal Palace have officially announced that they have signed Jean-Philippe Mateta, who was previously reported to be on a Tottenham’s radar, on a loan deal with an option to buy him at the end of the season.
Mateta was one of the strikers who Spurs were reportedly eyeing in the summer transfer window as an understudy to Harry Kane but they ended up moving for Carlos Vinicius on a season-long loan from Benfica instead.
CalcioMercato reported in November that Spurs could make a move for the French striker in the January transfer window.
The 23-year-old has been in fine form this season, netting 10 goals in 17 appearances in all competitions for Mainz (transfermarkt.com).
Palace have now won the race for his signature, with Sky Sports revealing that the Eagles paid £2.7m to sign Mateta on loan until the end of the season and could make the deal permanent for an additional £13.4m.
That option to buy reportedly becomes an obligation for Palace if the striker starts 15 league matches.
Spurs Web Opinion
Mateta certainly looked like a good fit for the Premier League and has the potential to evolve into a top striker. While he is still relatively unproven at the top level, the nature of the deal means that it is a risk-averse one for Palace. We might well come to regret not following through with our interest in the 23-year-old.
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