CRYSTAL PALACE are ready to listen to summer offers for Jean-Philippe Mateta if they can’t strike a new deal with the in-form Frenchman, SunSport understands.
Talks have been ongoing with Mateta’s camp over an improved contract, but progress has been minimal.
Chairman Steve Parish and the board are desperate to keep the striker, who has become a central figure under Oliver Glasner.
But Palace have been burnt once already.
Marc Guehi, regarded as one of the best defenders in the Premier League, is now set to walk away for nothing next summer.
The club are determined not to repeat that mistake with another major asset.
Parish has made it clear that a club of Palace’s size simply cannot afford to lose key players for free, and the board will consider bids for the 28-year-old star.
He has seven league goals this season and has pushed his way into Didier Deschamps’ France squad – scoring two goals in three recent qualifying games ahead of next year’s World Cup.
Mateta’s current deal runs until 2027 but he is seeking a significant bump on his £70k-a-week wages to reflect his status as Palace’s star man.
He hit 17 goals last season and led the line brilliantly as the Eagles shocked the country by lifting the FA Cup, securing European football for the first time in their history.
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Inside the club, Mateta is viewed as a likeable figure with real energy around the camp. However, there is a growing feeling his head may have been turned.
AC Milan have been heavily linked in the French press, and Mateta has boosted his profile further with his exploits for Les Bleus.
As things stand, he has a strong chance of being on the plane for next year’s World Cup and Palace fear that the longer contract talks drag on, the more leverage he gains – just as Guehi did before deciding to quit south London for nothing.
Meanwhile, Palace are also working quietly on reinforcing the right-back position, with the club keen to find competition for Daniel Munoz, who has played virtually every minute this season.
The Eagles are monitoring Bayern Munich’s Sacha Boey, who has fallen out of favour with the Bundesliga giants.
Palace enjoy a healthy relationship with Bayern, having sold Michael Olise to them despite strong pressure from Chelsea.
The German champions also allowed Chris Richards to join the Eagles, and Parish hopes that goodwill could help smooth any potential move for Boey.
Premier League players expected to depart for AFCON
Arsenal
No players leaving for AFCON
Aston Villa
- Evann Guessand (Ivory Coast)
AFC Bournemouth
Brentford
- Dango Ouattara (Burkina Faso)
- Frank Onyeka (Nigeria)
- Brighton & Hove Albion
Carlos Baleba (Cameroon)
Burnley
- Lyle Foster (South Africa)
- Axel Tuanzebe (DR Congo)
- Hannibal Mejbri (Tunisia)
Chelsea
No players leaving for AFCON
Crystal Palace
- Ismaila Sarr (Senegal)
- Christantus Uche (Nigeria)
- Chadi Riad (Morocco)
- Cheick Doucoure (Mali)
Everton
- Iliman Ndiaye (Senegal)
- Idrissa Gueye (Senegal)
Fulham
- Alex Iwobi (Nigeria)
- Calvin Bassey (Nigeria)
- Samuel Chukwueze (Nigeria)
Leeds United
No players leaving for AFCON
Liverpool
Manchester City
- Omar Marmoush (Egypt)
- Rayan Ait-Nouri (Algeria)
Manchester United
- Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon)
- Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco)
- Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast)
Newcastle United
- *Yoanne Wissa (DR Congo) *not been selected due to injury
Nottingham Forest
- Ibrahim Sangaré (Ivory Coast)
- Willy Boly (Ivory Coast)
- Ola Aina (Nigeria)
- Taiwo Awoniyi (Nigeria)
Sunderland
- Noah Sadiki (DR Congo)
- Simon Adingra (Ivory Coast)
- Chemsdine Talbi (Morocco)
- Reinildo Mandava (Mozambique)
- Ahmed Abdullahi (Nigeria)
- Habib Diarra (Senegal)
- Arthur Masuaku (DR Congo)
- Blondy Nna Noukeu (Cameroon)
- Bertrand Traoré (Burkina Faso)
Tottenham Hotspur
- Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal)
- Yves Bissouma (Mali)
West Ham United
- El Hadji Malick Diouf (Senegal)
- Aaron Wan-Bissaka (DR Congo)
Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Emmanuel Agbadou (Ivory Coast)
- Jackson Tchatchoua (Cameroon)
- Tolu Arokodare (Nigeria)
- Marshall Munetsi (Zimbabwe)
- Tawanda Chirewa (Zimbabwe)
