Manchester United were linked with Jean-Philippe Mateta in the summer, but the Crystal Palace frontman has been urged to make a new move.
Manchester United have been encouraged to pursue a move for Jean-Philippe Mateta, with manager Bacary Sagna insisting signing the Crystal Palace striker makes perfect sense.
The Red Devils were linked with the Frenchman in the summer, before signing Benjamin Sesco from RB Leipzig for a big fee. But despite spending more than £200m on an overhaul of their attack in the summer and seeing early signs of promise from the likes of Brian Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, United remain linked with another striker.
It remains to be seen whether Ruben Amorim and the Old Trafford bosses want another absolute No. 9 who can compete with Sesco, but whispers of interest in Mateta persist.
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And Sagna feels Mateta, a proven goalscorer at Premier League level, will not be easy to sign, with Crystal Palace struggling to tie up their talisman on a new deal.
“It makes sense for Jean-Philippe Mateta to go to Manchester United,” the former Arsenal defender told Odospedia. “They don’t really have a number nine who is tall and can hold the ball and can get on the edge of crosses.
“It might be difficult to come into a club with a lot of new players and transfer skills from Crystal Palace as a new player, but a move to Old Trafford would be good for him and for the club.
“Palace will also find it difficult to keep him and if he wants a test run playing for one of the biggest teams in the Premier League, now is the best time to move. He is not a young player anymore and this could be one of the last moves of his career, so if the opportunity arises he will probably push for it.”
Sagna’s comments came less than 24 hours after it emerged that talks between Mateta and Crystal Palace over a new contract had stalled.
The Standard has confirmed that Palace will need to “significantly increase” their current offer to convince Mateta to remain at Selhurst Park, with the striker, whose current contract expires in 2027, dreaming of a move to an elite club.
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