Newcastle, Everton and West Ham were linked with a move for the Lyon forward.
German Bundesliga club Mainz have completed a move to sign Lyon attacker Jean-Philippe Mateta after his excellent 2017-18 loan spell at Le Havre, but should Newcastle regret failing to make a move?
Football website TeamTalk claimed earlier this month that Newcastle were in pole position to land the 21-year-old attacker, while Premier League trio West Ham United, Everton and Leicester City were all said to be keen.
However, Mainz have elbowed the Premier League quartet aside to land the exciting attacker on a four-year deal, confirming the move on Thursday which also happened to be Mateta’s 21st birthday.
Despite his tender age, Mateta showed just how effective he can be by scoring 17 goals in 35 Ligue 1 games for Le Havre, as they finished fourth in France’s second tier.
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Though he is unproven at senior level, Mateta boasts a whole lot more quality than the likes of Dwight Gayle and Joselu did when they were first breaking onto the scene.
Indeed, the youngster boasts power and speed in equal measure and is just as adept at scoring a header as he is running at the defence and looking to make something happen out of nothing.
Mateta would have been an excellent signing for Newcastle, with Rafa Benitez desperate to bring a new striker to St. James’ Park. Though he may not yet be ready for first-team football, he will be soon.
German magazine Kicker claimed Mateta has cost Mainz just £8.8million with a significant chunk of that coming in the form of bonuses. The 6ft 3in striker has signed a four-year deal.
Letting Mainz get to Mateta first, rather than luring him to Tyneside, could turn out to be a big Newcastle mistake.
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