Tottenham are continuing to look for attacking reinforcements, and an unexpected situation at Crystal Palace could give them an opportunity to revive their interest in Jean-Philippe Mateta. Spurs have reportedly admired the French striker for some time and have previously made enquiries about his availability.
Mateta started Palace’s opening Premier League match against Everton, although he struggled to make an impact as Palace suffered defeat. Despite that difficult outing, the 29-year-old remains a proven Premier League goalscorer. During the 2025/26 season, he made 32 league appearances and scored 12 goals, while also contributing with his physical presence and aerial ability.
Why Tottenham are interested
Tottenham are looking to add more firepower to Roberto De Zerbi’s attack. The club have been strongly linked with Omar Marmoush and are also pursuing Savinho, but the report argues that neither necessarily provides the profile of a traditional centre-forward.
Mateta would offer something different. He can play as a focal point, hold the ball up, compete physically with defenders and attack crosses. Those qualities could complement more mobile attackers such as Marmoush and Savinho.
The situation could become even more interesting because of uncertainty surrounding Richarlison’s future. If the Brazilian leaves, Tottenham could need more than one attacking addition to maintain sufficient depth.
Mateta’s contract dispute
The biggest development concerns Mateta’s contract at Palace. According to the article, the striker has reportedly taken the issue to FIFA, challenging the validity of the final 10 months of his current agreement.
Mateta reportedly believes the final year of his Palace contract is not valid. If the dispute damages the relationship between the player and the club, Palace could potentially become more willing to negotiate his departure.
That is where Tottenham could benefit. Spurs have already shown interest in Mateta, so if Palace decide that selling him is the best solution, Tottenham could have an opportunity to negotiate for a striker they have previously considered.
The bigger picture
The report stresses that signing Mateta would not solve all of Tottenham’s problems. Their opening defeat to Brentford highlighted several weaknesses, particularly in attack, and De Zerbi will need time to implement his ideas.
However, Mateta could give Spurs an additional tactical option. His physical style and Premier League experience would provide something different from Marmoush and Savinho, potentially allowing Tottenham to change their approach against stubborn opponents.
Bottom line: Tottenham’s interest in Mateta is reportedly still worth watching. His contract dispute with Crystal Palace could create an unexpected opening for Spurs, especially if Palace become willing to negotiate his departure before the summer transfer window closes.
