Jean-Philippe Mateta Milan Deal Close To Completion
Jean-Philippe Mateta is closing in on Milan as talks with Crystal Palace speed up, with a January move now seriously on the table.
Andrea Locorotondo
Updated on 30 January 2026
Jean-Philippe Mateta Milan talks accelerate
Neither Juve, nor Forest, nor Villa. Jean-Philippe Mateta is one step away from Milan.
The Rossoneri club has had some great talks with Crystal Palace for the striker in recent hours.
The negotiations are moving along nicely and could be wrapped up pretty soon.
The Rossoneri want the French player to come to Milanello ASAP. However it could even happen in June.
Milan and Crystal Palace agreed on a transfer fee of €30 million.
On top of that, they’re pushing to close the deal in January, which would totally change the landscape of the transfer market and the Scudetto balance.
It’s no coincidence that Juve also tried for a long time to sign him in this transfer window but gave up the chase knowing that Kolo Muani was willing to return to Turin.
Milan push for January move as Palace look for replacement
The question now is whether the deal will go through and when.
The odds are looking good, and Giorgio Furlani is working to try and close the deal ASAP.
Milan has made its choice: Mateta could be the number 9 of the future.
Crystal Palace has given the green light for the transfer to happen right away.
Palace is trying to buy Jorgen Strand Larsen, who used to play for Milan Primavera, from Wolverhampton.
If that deal goes through—which has been tough in recent hours—it’ll give the green light to Mateta. Otherwise, they’ll try to hammer out an agreement for a transfer in June.
The next few hours are going to be key, because Mateta’s intentions are clear: he’s always been into Italy and he’s got an agreement with Milan for a contract worth €3-3.5 million per season plus bonuses.
Why Mateta fits Milan and what changes next
Mateta is a strong number 9, a center forward who makes the difference with his physique and technique.
He’s 6’4″, has a strong physique, and has been a pain in the neck for Premier League defenses for years.
He’s scored against Liverpool, City, United, and Arsenal. All the strongest teams.
Last October he was called up for the first time by Deschamps to the national team. He’s already scored two goals in three games. And with Mbappé, Dembélé, Doué, Olise, Cherki, Barcola, Ekitiké, Kolo Muani, and Marcus Thuram vying for the same spots, it’s a real challenge.
If Milan goes through with the deal for Mateta, who’s played in 34 games and scored 10 goals in the Premier League and cups this season, there might be some changes in the strikers on the squad.
Andrea Locorotondo
Andrea Locorotondo is an Italian sports journalist. He has been living in the UK since 2015 and he is accredited by the SJA and AIPS. In addition to his role as contributor for FootItalia, he has demonstrated his ability to effectively cover a range of positions in sports journalism. Former Sportitalia TV journalist back in 2014, he is currently employed as a data journalist for Opta and Sportsdata. He is the team leader of Italian commentators at GBVision. He collaborates with EA Sports and frequently appears as a guest on Italian radio and television shows, including RDS Serie A TV and La Fiera del Calcio, where he shares his insights as a Premier League expert.
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