Crystal Palace’s striker Jean-Philippe Mateta was expected to join AC Milan in a big transfer deal, but the deal has now stopped just before the January transfer deadline. Mateta, who had been training separately from Palace’s first-team squad, went through extra medical checks in London, but reports say the Italian club decided not to complete the deal. This means Mateta will stay with Palace for now, and his future is now unclear as the transfer window is about to close.
Mateta is a 28-year-old French footballer who has scored many goals for Palace since joining the club. Milan had agreed a fee of more than €30 million with Crystal Palace for his transfer, and he was scheduled to fly to Italy to finish the paperwork. However, problems came up during his medical checkup which stopped Milan from signing him, and the deal stopped in the end time.
Because Mateta’s transfer to AC Milan was cancelled, Crystal Palace are now moving forward with a deal to sign Norwegian striker Jørgen Strand Larsen from Wolverhampton Wanderers. Palace have reportedly agreed a £48 million deal with Wolves, including £43m upfront and £5m extra, for the transfer of Strand Larsen. He is expected to take a medical test with Palace before the deal becomes official, and this signing would take palace of Mateta if he leaves.
Strand Larsen has had mixed success this season, scoring a small number of goals in the Premier League for Wolves. Still, Palace see him as an important player to strengthen their team, Palace want to do better in the league and stay away from the bottom. They already spent a lot on another player this winter, and fans are excited to see how Strand Larsen will play for the team.
Mateta’s situation has been a main topic people and experts are talking about. He has been a key player for Palace in recent seasons and played an important role in their FA Cup success last year. Since his transfer has stopped, Palace boss Oliver Glasner and the club’s directors face a short deadline to finalize their plans before the transfer period ends.
The failed deal also changes the transfer market in Europe. Other clubs like Nottingham Forest, Juventus and others were reported to be interested in Mateta before the Milan transfer could happen. Some of those deals may come up again, and Palace could look at other offers before the transfer window closes.
Fans and experts say that transfer day is often full of surprises, and this deal also had twists. With only a few hours left before the window closes, many transfer in Europe’s top football leagues are still in progress, including other confirmed deals and ongoing negotiations involving Premier League and Serie A clubs.
For Palace, the main focus seems to be completing the Strand Larsen transfer and adding another player to their attack. If the Norwegian passes his medical and the paperwork is signed in time, he will give Palace a great option for striking. At the same time, Mateta will remain at Selhurst Park for the moment, fans are waiting to see if a new deal happens for him before the transfer window closes.
This transfer situation highlights the pressure and confusion during deadline day in football. Deals can change in a just few hours based on medical tests, negotiations, and strategic moves by clubs. As time runs out, Crystal Palace’s plans now depend on finalizing Strand Larsen’s arrival and managing Mateta staying and planning the team’s next games this season.