MX23RW : Monday, June 3 04:24:35| >> :120:41422:41422:

Crystal Palace sign Jean-Philippe Mateta on 18-month loan

The 23-year-old has scored 27 goals during his two-and-a-half years at Mainz.

Crystal Palace have completed the loan signing of forward Jean-Philippe Mateta from Mainz on an 18-month deal.

The Eagles have the option to make the move permanent and this transfer is the latest effort by the club to bring down their average age of the squad.

Mateta is the third player aged 23 or under to join Palace since the summer following the additions of Nathan Ferguson and Ebere Eze.

A former France Under-21 international, he will provide competition up front for Roy Hodgson, who has used winger Wilfried Zaha in a central forward position this season and seen the attacker score eight goals.

Mateta told the club's official website: "I'm very happy to come to Crystal Palace and I look forward to training.

"Playing in the Premier League was my dream when I was a child. Now I can play, I will show the fans of Crystal Palace what I can do."

After success with Chateauroux as a teenager, Mateta joined Lyon before he made the switch to Germany in 2018.

The target man flourished at Mainz and scored 14 times during his first campaign before a knee injury saw him miss a large chunk of last season.

Back fully fit again, Mateta has already hit double figures this term and will hope to continue his fine form at Selhurst Park.

Chairman Steve Parish added: "We have followed Jean-Philippe's development with keen interest for some time, and I'm so pleased that we have been able to bring him to south London.

"He is a player that is full of potential with a proven goal-scoring record, and his signing reiterates our commitment to ensuring we have a well-balanced squad in terms of youth and experience for the seasons ahead."

ID:431469: cacheID:431469:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:2888:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Matheus Pereira celebrates scoring for West Bromwich Albion against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on January 16, 2021
Read Next:
Five talking points from this weekend's Premier League action
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
CManchester CityMan City38287396346291
2Arsenal38285591296289
3Liverpool382410486414582
4Aston Villa382081076611568
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs382061274611366
6Chelsea381891177631463
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle381861485622360
8Manchester UnitedMan Utd38186145758-160
9West Ham UnitedWest Ham381410146074-1452
10Crystal Palace381310155758-149
11Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton381212145562-748
12Bournemouth38139165467-1348
13Fulham38138175561-647
14Wolverhampton WanderersWolves38137185065-1546
15Everton38139164051-1140
16Brentford38109195665-939
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3899204967-1832
RLuton TownLuton3868245285-3326
RBurnley3859244178-3724
RSheffield UnitedSheff Utd38372835104-6916


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!