We hear Juventus are interested in bringing Federico Chiesa back to Turin during the winter transfer window. However, it looks like Juventus are making more purchases in the Premier League – and it involves a number of people who will be added to the attacking line.
Juventus are in talks to sign Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mata this month, according to multiple reports in Italian media on Friday evening. As of a few days ago, it wasn’t really something that was being discussed, but Damian Comolli and his team appear to be trying to add a striker in the winter window – Mateta is their top target and head coach Luciano Spalletti has reportedly given his blessing.
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According to reports, Juventus’ first offer for Matata is as follows: a loan with an obligation to buy this summer. This is because, as Fabrizio Romano pointed out, this option is the only one in which Juventus can complete the deal this month due to the club’s current financial constraints.
Things have come to this: Juventus and Mateta’s camp have reached an agreement in principle on a four-year contract, Italian transfer journalist Nicolo Schira reported on Friday night.
Sky Sports UK reported on Friday that Mateta, who turns 29 in June, is “open to a new challenge” and that he is likely to leave Crystal Palace during the winter transfer window. Earlier in the day, Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner announced he would leave the club at the end of the season, while club captain Mark Gay is set to sign with Manchester City after failing to secure a move to Liverpool on the final day of the summer transfer window.
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So, as you might have guessed, things are far from certain at the Palace these days.
Mateta has shown consistent goalscoring ability over the past 2 1/2 seasons at Crystal Palace. In the 2023-24 season, he made 35 appearances (25 starts) in the Premier League and scored 16 goals, which is his highest number of goals since emerging with Le Havre in the 2017-18 season. Last season, he made 37 appearances (33 starts) in the Premier League and scored 14 goals. So far this season, Mateta has played 21 times in the Premier League, scoring 8 goals, ranking tied for fifth, and all of them are starters.
At 6-foot-4, Mateta is a far cry from the two healthy forwards Juventus currently have in Jonathan David and Luis Openda. The thinking is that Juventus are accelerating this move for Matata in an attempt to find what they consider to be Dusan Vlahovic’s replacement earlier than initially expected, given the chance of something happening this month.
Mateta’s current contract with Crystal Palace runs until 2027. He reportedly earns £2.6 million per season.
