Villa's Mateta pursuit leaves Glasner facing fresh Palace heartache

Unai Emery's Aston Villa have turned their sights toward Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta as they look to strengthen their attacking options in January, with the French international seemingly amenable to the switch.

The 29-year-old has been a standout performer for Palace under Oliver Glasner this season, but the Eagles are asking for around £35million—a fee that has proved prohibitive for Juventus, who explored a deal last week before withdrawing from the race. Mateta remains contracted until 2027, though his willingness to depart has opened the door for Premier League suitors.

Villa had previously been pursuing Tammy Abraham, with officials travelling to Turkey last month to negotiate with Besiktas, but those discussions have stalled. The switch to Mateta represents a pivot from a deal that appeared complicated by recall clauses and conditional obligations.

The prospect of losing Mateta compounds an increasingly fraught situation at Selhurst Park. Glasner has already seen club captain Marc Guehi exit this week, whilst star winger Ebere Eze departed for Arsenal six months earlier. The Austrian coach has made no secret of his frustration, publicly suggesting he has been "abandoned" by the club's hierarchy following Saturday's defeat at Sunderland. He confirmed on Friday that he will not renew his contract beyond June 2026.

Mateta's potential departure would represent a significant loss. The forward netted 19 goals last season as Palace claimed FA Cup glory, and has contributed eight goals across 23 Premier League appearances this term.

Palace appear to be eyeing Aston Villa's Evann Guessand as potential compensation, with the Eagles keen to bring the winger back to the south coast. Guessand arrived from FC Nantes last summer for £26million but has struggled to make an impact, featuring just 13 times in the league without scoring, though he has managed two goals in six Europa League outings.

Should Villa proceed with a Mateta acquisition, they would be offloading Donyell Malen to AS Roma this month—just a year after purchasing him from Borussia Dortmund—whilst potentially allowing Guessand to move in the opposite direction.

Glasner has insisted he will see out his contract, despite the obvious strain in his relationship with chairman Steve Parish. Whether Mateta's departure to a domestic rival might alter that position remains to be seen.