Tottenham have been told what it will take to sign Jean-Philippe Mateta after Crystal Palace rejected their initial approach, with fresh claims suggesting the forward could still be prised away.
Tottenham Hotspur secured a late deal for Randal Kolo Muani on deadline day, with Thomas Frank expressing his satisfaction at the capture of the French striker, who adds depth and versatility to his attacking options.
However, it has since emerged that Tottenham were also willing to push hard for Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, a move that would have raised plenty of eyebrows across the Premier League given Palace’s reliance on the Frenchman.
Palace stood firm and rejected Tottenham’s approach, ensuring Mateta remained at Selhurst Park, where he has already opened his account for the campaign in a convincing 3-0 win over Aston Villa.
Tottenham told Jean-Philippe Mateta transfer valuation
Following Spurs‘ failed attempt to prise Mateta away from Crystal Palace, Everton’s former chief, Keith Wyness, has revealed the sort of figure that would now be required to tempt Palace into selling the striker.
Wyness, who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a consultancy advising elite clubs, explained that Palace were never likely to part ways with the forward cheaply.
Speaking on Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness insisted that Palace were right to stand firm on their valuation.
He said: “He is one of the stars that they could not let go. They had already let a couple go, and I think he had to be there. I do not think £40m is the right price for him at the moment, for a goal scorer.
“He is probably worth a little bit more than that, but he is one they could not let go, so I was not surprised to see them stick their feet in on that one.”
“He may end up going at some stage, but he is going to be at a higher valuation. He is a quality player and I think he is going to have a good season, so we will see how that plays into it as well.
“Palace, Glasner is trying to build, and obviously Mateta likes Glasner, responds well to his management. The key to this is going to be where Glasner is going to be going forward as well.
“So we will see how Palace shape up on that one. I think they are managing to at least keep hold of the semblance of most of the squad, that they did quite well with.”
Spurs’ interest in Crystal Palace players
Jean-Philippe Mateta is not the only Crystal Palace player Tottenham have tracked in recent months, with Frank keeping a close eye on several of their top talents.
Adam Wharton was strongly admired by Tottenham last summer, with Frank understood to be a fan of the midfielder, although Palace’s valuation was considered excessive.
Spurs also attempted to move for Marc Guehi in the winter window, tabling a £70m offer for the centre-back, which was swiftly rejected.
Tottenham’s attempts to raid Palace have so far proven unsuccessful, with the collapse of Eberechi Eze’s proposed move to north London standing as the most recent example.
With Frank already boasting strong options in attack following the arrival of Kolo Muani, it remains to be seen whether Spurs will revisit their interest in Mateta later down the line.