Arsenal and Liverpool to clash over prolific France international whose future remains uncertain

Arsenal and Liverpool are keeping tabs on Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta amid uncertainty over his future. Mateta has reportedly stalled in talks to extend his contract as he is seeking clarity on Palace’s ambitions moving forward.

Interested clubs are now on high alert, and Caught Offside has reported that Arsenal and Liverpool have joined Manchester United, Tottenham, and Newcastle in the race for the player’s signature. Palace have sold star men Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise within the last year, and are due to lose skipper Marc Guehi when his contract expires this summer.

Adam Wharton and Daniel Munoz continue to be linked with moves away from the club as well, and Mateta is believed to be weighing up his options before committing to a long term extension. Mateta earned his first three France call ups this year and reportedly has ambitions to play in the Champions League at club level.

The player will want to cement himself in the France setup for years to come and could be tempted to move to a bigger club to help his case. Mateta has been in fine form to the start the season, scoring six goals in 12 Premier League appearances.

Arsenal and Liverpool keen on Mateta

Both Arsenal and Liverpool invested heavily in attacking reinforcements this summer, spending nearly £700m between them. Arsenal added Viktor Gyokores, Eberechi Ezi, and Noni Madueke in the attacking areas.

The Gunners are plagued by injuries however, with Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz both long term absentees. This has left Mikel Merino as the only makeshift deputy striker behind Gyokores, and Arteta might be looking to add more cover in that area.

Though Havertz and Jesus are nearing a return from injury, the latter’s long term future at the club remains uncertain while the former is not considered my many to be a natural striker.

Liverpool added two strikers of their own this summer, one of which was a British record transfer in Alexander Isak. The other is a promising youngster in the shape of Hugo Ekitike. Despite the added firepower the defending Champions have suffered a frustrating campaign, losing 6 games already in the Premier League and falling to 11th place in the table.

While an immediate move for another striker is unlikely, Slot may be looking to reshuffle his pack once more in the not too distant future.

About the Author

Nadji Grizzle

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Nadji is a football writer with over 10 years of experience covering the Premier League. His work has been featured on Football Fancast, Arsenal-Mania, and Arsenal.com, where he has built a reputation for delivering sharp analysis, engaging storytelling, and in-depth coverage of the game.

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