caughtoffside
·4. November 2024
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·4. November 2024
Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta is reportedly demanding big money if he is to sign a new contract at Selhurst Park amid recent transfer links with Liverpool.
The talented Frenchman has shone at Palace in recent times, particularly towards the end of last season as he showed some prolific form.
This season has been tougher for Mateta and for Palace as a whole, with Oliver Glasner’s side really suffering since selling star player Michael Olise to Bayern Munich in the summer.
Still, Mateta remains highly regarded in the game and Fichajes recently claimed Liverpool were interested in the 27-year-old.
The Reds could perhaps do well to sign someone like Mateta as an upgrade on Darwin Nunez, who has blown hot and cold for much of his time at Anfield.
Jean-Philippe Mateta in action for Crystal Palace (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Still, Alan Nixon has claimed that Mateta wants big money in his next contract, with the player looking for as much as £90,000 a week to sign a new deal at Palace.
Mateta’s current contract with the Eagles is due to expire in summer 2026, so this could be a worrying development for the club.
It remains to be seen if Palace will feel they can afford to give Mateta the pay rise he’s asking for, which could perhaps work in Liverpool’s favour as that kind of money surely wouldn’t be as much of an issue for a top club playing in the Champions League.
At the same time, however, Mateta’s timing doesn’t seem that great here, as LFC might be unsure about going for a player with big wage demands while he’s going through a difficult run of form.
At 27, Mateta is not the youngest, so Liverpool might feel it would be a smarter investment to go for someone with his best years still ahead of him.