'The club didn't' - Key Crystal Palace star hints at disappointment in blunt transfer admission

Crystal Palace put together an interesting January transfer window, with Oliver Glasner managing to keep hold of most of his key stars with the help of the board. While Michael Olise and Joachim Andersen were sold, Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi were not, and the Eagles now have a strong-looking squad.

The signings of Chadi Riad, Ismaila Sarr, Maxence Lacroix, Eddie Nketiah and Trevoh Chalobah have given Glasner plenty of options, and while the Eagles are still looking for their first league win after three games, they are expected to improve this season.

One player who is likely to be key to that is striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, who netted 16 times in the Premier League last season, earning a call-up to the France Olympics team. The 27-year-old was signed for around £12million in 2021 after an initial loan spell, but last season was by far his best for the club.

Glasner will want to keep getting the most out of Mateta, but the player himself seems to think his form put him line for a big summer move. In a recent interview with L’Equipe, the 27-year-old seemed to hint that he was disappointed that he was not sold during the summer window.

“I am a realistic person,” he said. “The club didn’t want to sell me. Well, I’m moving on and I’m doing everything so that the team obtains better results than last year. When it’s time to ask ourselves these kinds of questions (about his future) we will ask ourselves. In football, you have to adapt quickly, concentrate on the upcoming deadlines and not dwell on the past.”

Palace did sign a new striker in the summer, splashing out £25million for Eddie Nketiah, but the former Arsenal frontman is a different type of striker to Mateta, while Odsonne Edouard was allowed to leave the club to join Leicester City on loan.