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Jean-Philippe Mateta reaches Aston Villa agreement with update on Palace talks
Aston Villa are reportedly in club-to-club talks to sign a France international who’s snubbed a new deal in favour of leaving, with the player already agreeing personal terms to join Unai Emery‘s side.
Aston Villa set for busy end to January window
Villa are intensifying January recruitment efforts despite their well-documented financial constraints.
The Midlands side quite simply need to bolster their attack after Donyell Malen’s departure to Roma, though PSR regulations continue restricting spending (Sky Sports).
Villa representatives traveled to Istanbul on Monday evening to observe top target Tammy Abraham during Besiktas’ clash (Sky Sports), conveniently timed with Emery’s squad visiting Turkey for Thursday’s Fenerbahçe encounter.
The 28-year-old striker enjoyed tremendous success at Villa Park during his loan stint from Chelsea, recording 26 goals across 40 appearances while helping the Villans to Championship promotion via the playoffs.
Abraham’s current situation is pretty complicated though. He joined Besiktas on loan from Roma last summer and has already triggered an obligation-to-buy clause through performance thresholds (Sky Sports), making the talks ‘complex’ in the words of David Ornstein.
Fabrizio Romano: Aston Villa hold ‘initial talks’ to sign ‘talented’ Serie A star
Unai Emery’s side are being busy this month.
Besiktas also want to source a replacement before letting Abraham leave (Sky Sports), creating some hurdles for any January transfer.
His productivity this campaign remains impressive, with 13 goals across 26 matches in all competitions, and he’s apparently still a top target for Villa after agreeing personal terms.
Midfield reinforcement also features prominently in Villa’s planning.
Recent reports suggest that Ruben Loftus-Cheek is a genuine option, with Villa said to have held ‘initial talks’ over a deal for the 29-year-old England international after missing out on Conor Gallagher (Fabrizio Romano).
It appears poised for Villa to be pretty hectic as we enter the final phase of January, and if they can’t get a deal over the line for Abraham, they may have much more luck with Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta.
It was reported earlier this week that Mateta is being targeted as a potential alternative to Abraham, with the 28-year-old pushing to leave Selhurst Park and open to joining Emery’s side.
Now, Football Transfers report that he is far more than just open to it.
Jean-Philippe Mateta agrees terms to join Aston Villa
According to their information, Villa have already successfully concluded negotiations with Mateta over personal terms — positioning themselves strongly in the race for his signature.
The development follows Juventus’ failed loan deal, which has cleared Emery’s path to secure the Frenchman, who has his eyes on a place in Didier Deschamps’ World Cup squad.
The forward has informed Palace of his intention to depart before the January deadline, and Mateta believes competing in the Champions League or joining a club likely to qualify provides his best opportunity to be a World Cup player.
Negotiations between the clubs are also ongoing after Mateta’s agreement to join Villa, with Palace valuing their striker between £31 million and £35 million.
While substantial for a player approaching 29 and in the last hurrah of his contract, the Eagles have entertained discussions with multiple European suitors beyond Villa and Juventus.
Mateta has also rejected a new five-year contract offer from Palace worth £80,000-per-week in favour of leaving this month, forcing Oliver Glasner’s side to consider bids.
Chelsea have also contacted Mateta’s representatives, though their level of genuine interest remains uncertain. The Blues appear to be monitoring developments rather than actively pursuing a deal at this stage.
For Villa, Mateta represents an attainable target following Malen’s departure, offering proven Premier League experience and immediate attacking reinforcement as they maintain their top-four challenge.
However, this also potentially casts doubt over a reunion with Abraham.
£35m star now open to joining Aston Villa after ‘collapsed’ Juventus move
The Villans could now pick him up instead.
