Mateta has told Crystal Palace he wants to leave | OneFootball

Crystal Palace talisman Jean-Philippe Mateta wants to leave the club before the end of the winter transfer window, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Mateta has been a key player for the club since joining in 2022, bagging 56 goals and 13 assists in 185 appearances.

The 28-year-old spearheaded Palace to FA Cup success last season, but he wants out.

Palace recently sold Marc Guehi to Manchester City and will lose manager Oliver Glasner this summer.

With Juventus and Aston Villa showing interest, Mateta has decided to jump ship.

It is now up to the Eagles hierarchy to decide whether to keep or sell their wantaway ace. Selling Mateta now would be a gamble Palace can ill afford.

The Eagles are already reeling from the loss of Guehi and are mired in poor form on the pitch.

They have failed to win any of their last ten matches across all competitions.

Removing their focal point in attack midway through the season would only deepen the sense of instability and leave a struggling side short of leadership, goals and belief.

Palace’s priority should be steadying the ship, not tearing out another cornerstone and further angering Glasner.

Keeping Mateta until the summer, while explicitly promising to facilitate his move then, feels the most sensible compromise.

It preserves competitiveness for the remainder of the campaign, buys the club time to plan properly, and avoids plunging an already fragile season into further turmoil.