Tottenham Hotspur are plotting a swoop to sign Crystal Palace centre-forward Jean-Philippe Mateta, according to Football Insider.
Mateta joined Palace on an initial loan move from Bundesliga side Mainz, where he impressed during his six-month stint with the club, prompting the South Londoners to make the deal permanent in the summer of 2022.
The 28-year-old has been one of the most prolific forwards not just for Palace but in the Premier League, and his form in front of goal has also earned him three international caps for France, where he has netted twice, putting him in strong contention for Didier Deschamps’ final Les Bleus squad for the World Cup.
After an outstanding 2024-25 campaign in which he netted 17 goals across all competitions, the 28-year-old has continued his form this season, providing two assists and scoring nine goals, including in the Community Shield final against Liverpool. In the Premier League, only Erling Haaland (15) and Igor Thiago (11) have netted more goals than Mateta’s seven, underscoring why Spurs are now looking to sign him.
According to Football Insider, Tottenham are closely monitoring the France international’s situation at Selhurst Park over a possible move to North London.
With his contract set to run out in 2027, Palace are currently in a contractual standoff with the France international and could consider selling him, with Tottenham now hoping to take advantage of the situation, according to the report.
Mateta to Tottenham
The report adds that Spurs are looking to bolster their attack to salvage their goalscoring struggles and have now made Mateta a ‘priority’ in the January transfer window.
Thomas Frank eased some of the mounting pressure by overseeing a 2-0 win against Brentford on Saturday, a result that delivered the club’s first Premier League home victory since the dominant opening-day win over Burnley.
Spurs rarely looked threatening at the back, while Richarlison was a constant threat upfront, netting the opener to mark his sixth goal of the season.
However, Frank’s remaining centre-forward options have struggled to find any cutting edge. Randal Kolo Muani is still searching for his first Premier League goal, and Dominic Solanke has featured just three times in all competitions due to a niggling ankle problem.
Hence, a move for Mateta makes sense, as Palace could consider offers around his £30m Transfermarkt valuation rather than lose him for free amid their ongoing contractual standoff.
