Manchester United and Chelsea are reportedly involved in a heated transfer battle for Crystal Palace marksman Jean-Philippe Mateta ahead of the summer window.
The Frenchman recently showed Ruben Amorim's Red Devils what they are missing up front, netting a brace in a 2-0 Premier League win for the Eagles at Old Trafford last weekend.
Mateta endured a slow start to the 2024-25 season after his terrific exploits at the end of the 2023-24 campaign, but he has been going steady ever since and now has 13 goals in all competitions this season.
Ten of those efforts have come in the Premier League, where the 27-year-old has been one of the division's standout players in 2025, scoring six goals in his first five top-flight games of the new year.
Mateta is under contract at Selhurst Park for another two-and-a-half years, but according to TBR Football, Man United, Chelsea and Newcastle United are among the clubs keeping close tabs on his situation.
'Doubts' emerge over Mateta future?
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The report claims that there are growing 'doubts' about the striker's future with Oliver Glasner's side, who recently triggered his contract extension to avoid the prospect of losing him for nothing in 2026.
Palace are supposedly working to tie Mateta down to a longer-term contract, but the Eagles' efforts have been futile so far, and a multitude of clubs have been put on red alert.
Man United, Chelsea and Newcastle are apparently just one of seven Premier League clubs interested in the Olympic silver medallist, a list that also includes Nottingham Forest, West Ham United, Bournemouth and Aston Villa.
Elsewhere in Europe, Bayer Leverkusen, Marseille and Atletico Madrid are all believed to be monitoring developments surrounding Mateta, who joined Palace for a mere £9m from Mainz 05 in January 2022 after a year on loan.
The former Lyon man has since registered 42 goals and eight assists in 134 appearances for the Eagles and netted five times for France at the 2024 Olympics, as Thierry Henry's side won the silver medal on home soil.
Which club would be best for Mateta?
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Combined, Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee cost Man United over £100m, but the duo have been in the shadow of the £9m Mateta all season, even if the Frenchman is admittedly more experienced.
Amorim is in desperate need of a classic target man such as Mateta, but do not expect the INEOS regime to sanction a move for the 27-year-old while they prioritise the signing of young talent.
Furthermore, Mateta should only expect regular game time at Newcastle or Chelsea if one or both of Alexander Isak or Nicolas Jackson are sold or injured; the former is unlikely to leave unless a bid north of £120m is lodged.
West Ham and Bournemouth's need for a new striker is well-documented, but the former at least would represent a sidewards step in Mateta's career, and a foreign league is certainly an intriguing option.
Leverkusen's Victor Boniface was heavily linked with Saudi Arabia in January, while Atletico veteran Antoine Griezmann will not be around forever, and Mateta could easily challenge for the top honours at one of those two clubs.
Ben Knapton
