St Etienne manager Pascal Dupraz is still hoping to lure Crystal Palace’s Premier League frontman Jean-Philippe Mateta back to France during the January transfer window, speaking to Canal, via Le10 Sport.
Football can be a fickle mistress at times. Just ask Mateta.
A month ago, it seemed only a matter of time until the Mainz loanee was bidding farewell to life at Selhurst Park.
He was tumbling down Patrick Vieira’s pecking order with reports suggesting that the Crystal Palace boss wanted to terminate his 18-month loan deal with half of the season remaining.
It’s fair to say things have changed. As we said; fickle.
Catapulted back into the first-team picture during a hectic festive period, Mateta followed up a sweetly-taken goal in a 3-0 thrashing of Norwich City with another strike in the FA Cup victory over Millwall.
And it certainly felt significant when Vieira opted to introduce Mateta off the bench – rather than Christian Benteke – during Friday’s 1-1 draw with bitter rivals Brighton and Hove Albion.
Is Jean-Philippe Mateta staying at Crystal Palace?
Bottom-of-the-table St Etienne remain keen on a striker who began his career at Rhone rivals Lyon.
Dupraz admitted a fortnight ago that he had entered talks with Mateta’s camp.
And while he’s unwilling to accepted defeat, Dupraz will know that his chances have suffered a major blow.
“We still hope for two to three additional recruits,” admits Claude Puel’s successor at the Stade Geoffroy Guichard.
“We talked about Mateta for a long time. I almost want to say that the less we reveal ourselves, the more chance we have.”
Vieira was full of praise for Mateta recently, highlighting his improved fitness and his ruthless finishing skills (Independent).
Odsonne Edouard, meanwhile, is still struggling to exert his influence on the Premier League stage. And Benteke is attracting interest from Burnley.
Mateta, then, could go from third-choice to first in the blinking of an eye.
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