Jean-Philippe Mateta to STAY at Crystal Palace as transfer to AC Milan collapses hours before deadline

Jean-Philippe Mateta will stay at Crystal Palace after his transfer to AC Milan collapsed at the 11th hour, talkSPORT can exclusively reveal.

Concerns raised during his medical with the Serie A giants saw them pull the plug on their bid to sign Mateta in a £30million move.

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It was suggested that Mateta could join Milan’s rivals Juventus, however, any chance of a move to Turin has gone up in smoke.

talkSPORT also understands this latest development will not change Palace’s stance in their bid to sign Wolves forward Jorgen Strand Larsen.

Frenchman Mateta was pining for a Selhurst Park exit all January having refused to enter contract negotiations to extend his stay beyond 2027.

A switch to Italy has always been the 28-year-old’s priority – despite being the subject of a £35m offer from Nottingham Forest.

Mateta’s representatives held talks earlier in the window, but were seeking a loan deal with an option or obligation to buy.

talkSPORT first reported Milan’s interest in December, where we told you of the centre-forward’s willingness to test himself in Serie A.

And he only had eyes on playing for the Rossoneri once they formalised their interest, who walked away from the deal after club doctors checked him over in Paris.

On Saturday night, Mateta took to social media to subtly express frustration over his situation by posting an angry emoji.

Deal or no deal?

But the following day, Milan and Palace came to a £30m agreement – £5m less than what Forest had offered.

Palace owner Steve Parish handled negotiations himself, where he has been keen to offload Mateta abroad instead of to Forest amid their highly-publicised European battle last summer.

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Parish have already sounded out Mateta’s replacement having agreed a deal rising for £48m to sign Wolves’ Strand Larsen, who has passed his medical.

Though Palace insist that deal will go through even with Mateta now set to stay at the club.

Palace have also already secured the services of Evann Guessand on loan from Aston Villa.

Prior to Palace’s 1-1 draw away at Forest on Sunday, where he was left out, Mateta had featured in every Premier League game this season.

He started in the club’s opening 23 top-flight fixtures, while also featuring a further 11 times across Conference League, Carabao Cup and Community Shield action.

In all competitions this season, he has banged in ten goals, with eight of his strikes coming in the Premier League.

Since joining Palace on an initial loan deal in January 2021, Mateta has missed just four games due to injury.

Each of those missed matches came last season after suffering a head injury in Palace’s FA Cup fifth round win over Millwall.

Mateta was kicked in the face by goalkeeper Liam Roberts, resulting in nine medics to oversee the player, who was later rushed to hospital where he received 26 stitches.

His injury was so severe that his plastic surgeon refused to show him pictures of his ear.

But despite the horrifying ordeal, he was back playing just three weeks later in protective headgear.