Tottenham Hotspur may be able to land Jean-Philippe Mateta at a cut-price fee late in the window after exploring a move for the Crystal Palace striker.
The Frenchman’s future has become the subject of intense speculation over the past few days, due to a fallout between him and his club regarding the contract extension option exercised by Palace.
This is according to TEAMtalk, who reported a couple of days ago that Mateta’s representatives had contacted Tottenham to explore a late transfer.
This was backed up by another update on Tuesday, which claimed that Spurs are ready to pounce on the 29-year-old striker if an opportunity opened up, after Aston Villa failed with an offer for the player.
Tottenham could land Jean-Philippe Mateta on a discount
Football Insider have now confirmed that Villa have had a bid rejected for the France international, who is also of interest to the Lilywhites.
The website says that despite the Villans’ rejected offer, Mateta is widely expected to seal an exit from Selhurst Park before the window slams shut on September 1.
The outlet claims that the Eagles are ready to pay £25m for the striker, who has a year left in his deal in South London.
The report adds that apart from Tottenham Hotspur and Villa, several other Premier League sides are also ‘being kept informed’ on Mateta’s situation in the final days of the window.
Spurs seem unlikely to sign Mateta after Omar Marmoush move
With Omar Marmoush now officially a Tottenham player, the Lilywhites seem rather well stocked in the central striker position – especially if they move for Cody Gakpo, who can also cover there.
While Richarlison may be on his way out of Spurs over the coming days, it is unlikely that the Lilywhites will look to replace the Brazilian with another number nine.
Marmoush will likely compete with Dominic Solanke to lead the line this season, with Mathys Tel (or potentially Cody Gakpo if Tottenham land him) available to cover upfront.