Crystal Palace unravelling as Jean-Philippe Mateta submits transfer request

View 2 Images

Jean-Philippe Mateta has submitted a transfer request in a bid to force through a move away from Crystal Palace this month. Palace have been rocked by the departure of captain Marc Guehi to Manchester City and the news that Oliver Glasner will leave in the summer – and now their star striker wants out.

Guehi’s £30million transfer to City was confirmed on Monday and followed a remarkable rant from Glasner on the weekend in which he claimed he and the player had been “abandoned completely” by the club’s hierarchy. Palace chairman Steve Parish decided not to sack Glasner for the provocative comments and now faces a potential mutiny.

Mateta is Palace’s top scorer, with eight goals in 22 Premier League games this season, and their focal point up front. The 28-year-old striker is under contract until June 2027 but has now officially told the club he wants to follow Guehi out the door in the January transfer window .

Juventus have been in talks over signing Mateta this month but have seen their offer of an initial loan move with an obligation to buy for €33million (£28.8m) rejected. Gazzetta dello Sport says that Palace are demanding €40million (£35m) for a straight transfer, with Aston Villa also interested.

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football's Facebook page

Villa have allowed Donyell Malen to leave for Roma and are keen to sign a replacement forward to back up Ollie Watkins this month. They are interested in Mateta, who has 56 goals in 185 games for Palace, but are also considering ex-Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham, who is on loan from Roma at Besiktas.

Glasner explained the situation with Mateta last week: “It is the same. There will be a price where Crystal Palace say ‘18 months left in his contract, we do the deal if JP wants.’ If nobody pays this price then JP will stay.”

It is a perilous situation for Palace, who have gone 10 games in all competitions without a win and were knocked out of the FA Cup by Macclesfield. "I feel we are being abandoned completely,” Glasner said after the 2-1 defeat by Sunderland on Saturday. “Because I can't play many players. They did everything they could and this has been going on for weeks and months now. And we have 12, 13 players from the squad available and we feel no support.”

View 2 Images

Asked why he felt abandoned, Glasner replied: “It's pretty clear, yeah? It's pretty clear. Again, I didn't sell anyone. If you get your heart torn out twice this season, one day before a game, it was with [Eberechi] Eze in summer, it was with Guehi now, you know?

"What should I tell the players all the time? What should I tell them? And then I see the performance today for 50, 60 minutes, today it was not easy with all the circumstances going here with 12 players from the squad, and yes then you have 15, 20 minutes when you are under pressure, you concede the goal, I look at the bench, I can't react, just kids on the bench, and this has not happened yesterday, this is weeks ago. That's why I'm really frustrated today.”