Crystal Palace could land winger who is 'competing well' in Jean-Philippe Mateta swap deal with rivals

Crystal Palace could face a fresh challenge to keep hold of one of their best players after holding off an approach from another club. The Eagles have had a testing month to say the least, with Oliver Glasner announcing that he will leave at the end of the season, and shortly after Marc Guehi joined Manchester City on a £20million deal.

It was expected the Palace captain would see out his contract and leave in the summer, but a big offer from City changed that, and the timing of the deal left Glasner furious with the club.

Shortly after came interest from Juventus in striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, but it seems the Eagles survived that interest, demanding more than Juventus were willing to pay, which was around £35million. But Mateta is a hot commodity, being a proven Premier League striker and with only around 18 months remaining on his contract.

Clubs will know that Palace will want to avoid getting themselves into another Guehi situation where they have to sell for cheap, and at 28 years of age, Mateta will want to take advantage of his high stock to join a top club sooner rather than later.

That matters even more when it comes to a possible departure this month, given Mateta will have his eyes on the France World Cup squad. That could be easier to achieve at a bigger club that is competing towards the top of any given top league.

Juventus may now be off the table for Mateta, but there could be another club in the offing.

Villa interest and Guessand

According to The Athletic, Aston Villa are now chasing a deal for Mateta as a possible alternative for Tammy Abraham who is also being linked. Villa would have to be willing to meet Palace’s asking price, which is not going to be any less when dealing with a Premier League rival.

Interestingly, though, the report also suggests that Palace are looking at Villa forward Evann Guessand, who has one goal in 13 appearances from out wide so far this season. Guessand would not be a replacement for Mateta, given he is more of a wideman, but it could open the door to a possible swap deal.

Guessand only joined Villa in 2025, with the West Midlands club spending between £26million and £30million to lure him from OGC Nice. That puts the winger at a similar value to Mateta, meaning there could be a deal to be done, albeit Palace would still find themselves needing a striker.

Emery’s praise for Guessand

Speaking in December about Guessand’s development since joining the club, Villa boss Unai Emery said: “He needs time, and he's competing very well. I'm so, so happy with him, and especially because we are trying to get in our structure his best position to help us and support us in our structure with his qualities.

“He's working hard to adapt quick, to get tactically everything we need, and he had one chances to score with the head on Wednesday. He has worked defensively very well. I am now, and I was happy. Now I am happy. I am demanding with him, but firstly, he must be demanding himself, and he's in this commitment.”

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