MX23RW : Sunday, December 22 23:03:53| >> :60:142:142:

Crystal Palace sign Jean-Philippe Mateta on 18-month loan

The 23-year-old has scored 27 goals during his two-and-a-half years at Mainz.

Crystal Palace have completed the loan signing of forward Jean-Philippe Mateta from Mainz on an 18-month deal.

The Eagles have the option to make the move permanent and this transfer is the latest effort by the club to bring down their average age of the squad.

Mateta is the third player aged 23 or under to join Palace since the summer following the additions of Nathan Ferguson and Ebere Eze.

A former France Under-21 international, he will provide competition up front for Roy Hodgson, who has used winger Wilfried Zaha in a central forward position this season and seen the attacker score eight goals.

Mateta told the club's official website: "I'm very happy to come to Crystal Palace and I look forward to training.

"Playing in the Premier League was my dream when I was a child. Now I can play, I will show the fans of Crystal Palace what I can do."

After success with Chateauroux as a teenager, Mateta joined Lyon before he made the switch to Germany in 2018.

The target man flourished at Mainz and scored 14 times during his first campaign before a knee injury saw him miss a large chunk of last season.

Back fully fit again, Mateta has already hit double figures this term and will hope to continue his fine form at Selhurst Park.

Chairman Steve Parish added: "We have followed Jean-Philippe's development with keen interest for some time, and I'm so pleased that we have been able to bring him to south London.

"He is a player that is full of potential with a proven goal-scoring record, and his signing reiterates our commitment to ensuring we have a well-balanced squad in terms of youth and experience for the seasons ahead."

ID:431469: cacheID:431469:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:2888:
Written by
P A
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Matheus Pereira celebrates scoring for West Bromwich Albion against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on January 16, 2021
Read Next:
Five talking points from this weekend's Premier League action
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
FT
Lions
34-17
Bears
FT
Browns
6-24
Bengals
9.25pm
Patriots
@
Bills
FT
Titans
30-38
Colts
FT
Giants
7-34
Falcons
FT
Rams
19-9
Jets
FT
Cardinals
30-36
Panthers
FT
Eagles
33-36
Washington
9.05pm
Vikings
@
Seahawks
9.25pm
49ers
@
Dolphins
9.25pm
Jags
@
Raiders
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool16123137162139
2Chelsea17105237191835
3Arsenal1796234161833
4Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest179442319431
5Bournemouth178452721628
6Aston Villa178452626028
7Manchester CityMan City178362925427
8Newcastle UnitedNewcastle177552721626
9Fulham176742422225
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton176742726125
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1772839251423
12Brentford177283232023
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd176472122-122
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham175572230-820
15Everton163761421-716
16Crystal Palace173771826-816
17Leicester CityLeicester173592137-1614
18Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1733112740-1312
19Ipswich TownIpswich172691632-1612
20Southampton1713131136-256


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!