Milan-Mateta, agreement. Idea for June, but it can arrive immediately

A great attack in attack yes, but for the summer. AC Milan have entered the race for Jean-Philippe Mateta, the Crystal Palace striker who is liked by many clubs in Europe. The idea is not to bring him immediately to Massimiliano Allegri’s court, given that the Devil already has five top-level attackers in the squad (Leao, Pulisic, Nkunku, Fullkrug and the injured Gimenez, available again in March), but to take him for next season when, they hope in via Aldo Rossi, there will be a return to the Champions League. The objective is to displace the competition which is fearsome given that Nottingham Forest is looking for a first striker and Juventus have also inquired about the former Mainz striker because Spalletti needs a replacement for Vlahovic. The Frenchman born in 1997 would be a great coup for the Devil: by “booking” him for 2026-27, the Rossoneri managers would resolve the search for a center forward with an easy goal well in advance. In the last two Premier League seasons, Mateta has scored double figures (14 goals in 2024-25, 16 in 2023-24), while in the current season he has scored 8 goals in the league. The Frenchman prefers a new experience abroad for his future and therefore, after having played at home (with Lyon and Le Havre), in Germany (with Mainz) and in England (with Crystal Palace), he is attracted by the possibility of testing himself in Serie A too. Milan back in the Champions League is the big one he dreams of. To fight and win trophies.

milan on mateta

—

The Mateta operation has high costs and, if the club owned by RedBird is working on it, it means that it is ready to make an investment. A bit like what happened with Gimenez and Nkunku. The price tag of the striker born in Sevran is now around 35 million euros plus bonuses, perhaps something more given that Nottingham Forest is ready to put 35 million on the table, yes, but in pounds (around 40 million in euros). For its part, Crystal Palace has entered into the idea of ​​satisfying the will of its striker and letting him leave. Not immediately though. The managers of the Londoners tried to buy the former Milan player Jorgen Strand Larsen, currently at Wolverhampton, and it seemed that their attempt could be successful by putting the 50 million requested by Wolves on the table. Yesterday, however, this latest negotiation came to a sudden halt and some obstacles arose. Hence the delay for Mateta’s immediate departure and Crystal Palace’s decision to keep Jean-Philippe until the end of the season. Because his goals are needed to achieve salvation, which still needs to be achieved despite the 28 points in the standings, 8 more than third-last West Ham.

the Rossoneri strategy

—

And here the Devil comes into play: Mateta would remain in the Premier League with the contract already signed in his pocket and would land in Serie A in July, wearing the Milan shirt. In practice, Furlani and Tare would buy him now (for around thirty million, including bonuses) and leave him in London for five months, however obtaining a discount on the requested amount. The Frenchman, in fact, has a contract expiring in June 2027 and, if he left immediately, Crystal Palace would have a certain negotiating power. In July, with just 12 months of restrictions left, decidedly less. This is why reaching an immediate agreement with Milan, and keeping it until the end of the championship, is also advantageous for the team coached by Glasner. This January, the coach has already lost Guehi, a pillar of the defence, sold to City and is putting pressure on the club not to drop in level in attack either. Mateta is a first weight striker who has kilos and centimetres. He is the penalty area battering ram that the Devil was also looking for in this January transfer window. For this reason he borrowed Füllkrug at the end of December. The future, however, if the negotiation goes through, will be with Mateta.