In a recent report, journalist Wayne Veysey mentioned that Aston Villa are in talks to land Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta. It has been claimed that the Villans are showing interest in recruiting the French centre-forward this summer.
Mateta’s Decent Numbers In The Premier League
The 27-year-old had a fruitful season at Crystal Palace as he produced a run of productive displays for them on the offensive end of the field. Mateta scored 19 times and secured five assists in 39 matches for the Eagles in the previous campaign across various competitions.
The French attacker gave a good account of himself in the opponent’s half by averaging 1.3 shots, 0.9 key passes and 0.7 dribbles per game in Premier League football. However, he needs to improve his link-up play up top after completing just 73.8% of his attempted passes in the English top flight (stats via whoscored).
Mateta is under contract at the London club until the summer of 2026. Hence, Aston Villa would have to launch a big move if they are serious about bringing him to Villa Park for a reduced fee this off-season.
What Will Mateta Add To Aston Villa Boss Unai Emery’s Team?
Mateta is proficient at creating a yard of space for himself to get some shots in at goal. He can be a good finisher in the final third and can engineer the odd chance for others around him in the opponent’s half.
The French sensation is a good dribbler with the ball as well and has already earned some valuable experience in the Premier League. Therefore, he won’t take much time to settle into life at Villa Park if Unai Emery can devise a way to get him on board this summer.
We can expect Mateta to add more goals to Aston Villa‘s frontline. He is good enough to offer some serious competition for Ollie Watkins at the West Midlands club in the coming years.
At 27, Mateta is entering his prime which makes him a decent choice for the Villans to consider in this summer transfer window. He might even help Aston Villa compete across all fronts in the future. Thus, Emery should focus on recruiting him ahead of the new campaign.
