Kicker have cited a report from The Athletic that Crystal Palace are close to signing 23-year-old Mainz striker Jean-Philippe Mateta on an 18-month loan deal.
Palace would pay an initial €3m to Mainz to sign the Frenchman on loan with an obligation to buy for €15m if he plays a certain number of games. The Premier League side also showed initial interest in Mateta during the summer transfer window when Mainz rejected an offer of €15.5m.
Per The Athletic, they understand that Mateta is currently en route to England but could be a Crystal Palace player before Tuesday’s game against West Ham United.
Mateta has scored seven and created one in 15 Bundesliga games this season, adding to his tally of three in two DFB Pokal games. Since his move from Lyon in 2018, Mateta has scored 27 and created five in all competitions for the Bundesliga club, despite missing much of the 2019/20 season through injury.
