Look, Mourinho: Juventus struggling ahead of Benfica clash | OneFootball

Juventus, who will face Benfica on January 19th in the 7th round of the UEFA Champions League league phase – a match that brings bad news for the Eagles –, saw their first attempt to sign Jean-Philippe Mateta fall through. The Bianconeri management submitted a formal offer to Crystal Palace, but the English club immediately rejected it, halting a process that was being closely monitored in Turin.

The proposal involved a payment of 2 million euros for a loan until the end of the season, with a purchase option set at 28 million. This amount would become mandatory if Luciano Spalletti’s team secured a place in the 2026/27 European competitions.

Crystal Palace, however, made their negotiating position clear. With a contract valid until the summer of 2027, the 28-year-old French international is only expected to leave on a permanent deal and for a fee never less than 30 million euros. The London club’s strategy is to capitalize on the player’s good form and rule out any scenarios of a temporary loan.

Meanwhile, the Juventus coach was left frustrated by the (0-1) defeat away to Cagliari, complaining about the opponent’s time-wasting tactics, which resulted in only 52 minutes of effective play despite the referee awarding 8 minutes of stoppage time. "Ten of their players were constantly throwing themselves onto the pitch. Something needs to be done about this. Teams should play football and not waste time at every throw-in", said Spalletti.

This season, wearing the Crystal Palace shirt, Jean-Philippe Mateta — valued at 40 million euros — has been a key player in the London club’s setup. In total, the striker has already played 36 official matches, across domestic competitions and the Conference League. In the 2,712 minutes he has been on the pitch, the player has scored 10 goals and provided two assists.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.