"Crystal Palace had a busy summer, during which they managed to avoid losing only one player: Eberechi Eze, who joined Arsenal. The likes of Marc Guehi, Adam Wharton and Jean-Philippe Mateta are still at Selhurst Park, although that may not be the case in 12 months' time. Guehi is expected to depart next summer when his contract expires, while Wharton has attracted strong interest from the likes of Liverpool and Real Madrid. And in the case of Mateta, he could also depart."
"Crystal Palace want to ensure that their star striker stays, amid interest from Aston Villa and Newcastle. And they hope to ensure his continuity by agreeing a new contract with him, as Mick Brown has revealed to Football Insider. We know how important Mateta is for Crystal Palace. He leads the line for them so well, holds the ball up, brings his teammates into the game and he scores a fair few goals for them too."
"After losing Eze and it looks like they'll lose Guehi at some stage as well, they can't afford to keep letting their best players leave. Crystal Palace's strength has been that spine of the team. Henderson, Guehi, Wharton, Eze, Mateta, they're the foundation of the success they've had. Losing one, they can deal with, maybe even losing two if they get the right replacements. Start losing three or four, they're going to have some real problems."
"So it's no surprise they turned down offers for Mateta during the summer, especially late in the window, and I expect they'll be focused on keeping him. They want to give him a new contract, and it's fair to say he probably deserves one. That's something they have to do urgently, make sure he's tied down and there are no doubts about his future because they can't afford to lose him."
Crystal Palace lost Eberechi Eze and face potential departures of Marc Guehi and Adam Wharton, creating transfer uncertainty. Jean-Philippe Mateta is attracting interest from Aston Villa and Newcastle and could also leave. Palace view Mateta as a crucial striker who leads the line, holds up play, involves teammates, and contributes goals. The club turned down offers for Mateta during the summer and plan to offer him a new contract to secure his future. Palace regard a spine of Henderson, Guehi, Wharton, Eze, and Mateta as central to recent success. Losing multiple core players would threaten team stability.
Read at www.caughtoffside.com
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