A new striker could arrive at Crystal Palace this summer amid uncertainty over Jean-Philippe Mateta’s future. The Frenchman returned to the club after failing a medical ahead of a January deadline day move to AC Milan.
The Serie A giants pulled the plug after a problem with Mateta’s knee put them off completing a £30m deal. He may yet pull on the Palace shirt again this season, but could be on the move in the summer.
Reports claim that Newcastle United have set their sights on the 28-year-old, who will have a year left on his contract. It seems the Eagles are preparing for his possible departure by eyeing one of English football’s exciting forwards.
Agyemang attracts Palace interest
Palace’s summer transfer window will come without Oliver Glasner as manager. The Austrian is leaving when his contract expires in June, and he could be shown the door by Mateta.
Should the South Londoners need to sign a replacement, they may turn to Derby County frontman Patrick Agyemang. The American striker has been in red-hot form in the Championship, finding the back of the net 10 times in 29 games.
According to Football Insider, Palace and Leeds United are monitoring the 25-year-old who only joined the Rams last summer. He arrived at Pride Park from MLS club Charlotte FC in a £7.3m deal including add-ons.
Derby are said to be preparing for “big offers” for the centre-forward and are likely to demand around £20m. Both interested clubs looked to sign Agyemang last month and remain keen on the player.
Agyemang could be ideal
It seems increasingly likely that Mateta will leave Palace this summer after pushing for a move to Milan. He hadn’t exactly been at his best this season, and a departure might be for the best.
Moving for Agyemang makes sense as he can serve as backup to Jorge Strand Larsen following his club-record £48m arrival from Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Norweigan has fared well in recent weeks and will likely be leading the line come next season.
Derby manager John Eustace is certainly a fan of the USMNT international. He recently spoke highly of his growth (via the East Anglian Daily Times):
“He wants to develop. He’s a terrific lad. He’s just turned 25 and he’s just come from the MLS which is a completely different style and environment.”
Agyemang is still relatively young and could even claim the starting berth in the Eagles’ team should his goalscoring exploits continue at Selhurst Park. A new striker shouldn’t be the priority, so the club should be prepared to drop out of the race if the Rams demand more than the current asking price.
