Manchester United are reportedly keen to sign Crystal Palace star Jean-Philippe Mateta, according to the Spanish newspaper Transfers.
The Red Devils suffered from goalscoring problems last season, as Rasmus Hojlund put in disappointing performances, while Joshua Zirkzee had a below-average debut season.
That is why Ruben Amorim decided to upgrade the center forward position this summer. United were linked with a host of names, including Liam Delap, Ollie Watkins and Mateta, before acquiring Benjamin Sesko by spending a large fee after signing Hojlund from Napoli.
However, it appears that the Amorim side are thinking about signing a new striker next year as it was recently reported that Zirkzee has become frustrated after struggling to find regular playing time so far this season and failing to make any starts.
So he is open to playing regularly and developing his career. Now, Transfers states that Man Utd have started exploring options to strengthen the centre-forward position and are keen to sign Mateta.
Matta to Man Utd
The 28-year-old’s current contract runs until 2027 and Palace are willing to keep him by tying him down to a new term. However, he is willing to leave to take the next step in his career, and if the Eagles are ultimately forced to cash in on him, they will want around £43m.
Mateta has been in excellent form at Selhurst Park in recent years. After scoring more than 20 goals in the last two seasons in a row, he has scored four goals in all competitions so far this season. In addition, he has won the FA Cup and Community Shield with Oliver Glasner’s team.
After showing his qualities for the south London club, Mateta received his first call-up to the France national team during the international break in October this year. He made his debut against Azerbaijan last week before scoring his first international goal against Iceland.
Mateta, 6ft 2ins tall, is a proven player in the Premier League and could be a smart signing for Man Utd if they were to sign him. However, it will be interesting to see if the Old Trafford club ultimately manage to secure his services next year.
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