​Manchester United remain keen on Jean-Philippe Mateta, but they face stiff competition from two European giants to land the Crystal Palace striker, according to a fresh report. While United are reportedly satisfied with Benjamin Sesko’s first season in English football, the club’s leadership have grown impatient with Joshua Zirkzee and are weighing up a strategic shift this summer. Although the Dutch forward is well-liked within the squad and possesses a skillset that should complement Sesko, his return in front of goal has fallen short since his £36.5 million move from Bologna in 2024. Across 75 appearances for United, Zirkzee has netted only nine times and contributed a mere four assists. If his lack of goals could be offset by the kind of creative impact he displayed in Serie A, the narrative might be different; however, there has been little evidence of that playmaking spark.
INEOS are determined to recruit a more seasoned No.9 in the close season to relieve the goal-scoring burden on Sesko. The plan is to offload Zirkzee to fund this signing, although the 2020 Champions League winner with Bayern Munich has signalled a desire to remain at Old Trafford and compete for a first-team berth. Should those talks with Michael Carrick and sporting director Jason Wilcox lead to a different outcome, a lengthy queue of suitors would soon circle Zirkzee, with the majority likely to come from Italy. In that scenario, United appear prepared to pivot towards securing a ready-made replacement with Mateta in their sights, along with Crystal Palace and France’s own frontman, though he is not the sole admiration on their radar.
Having just turned 29, Mateta brings a proven Premier League goalscoring resume that aligns with United’s immediate needs this summer. The Sevran-born striker was named in Didier Deschamps’ squad for the World Cup, ahead of young talents such as Eli Kroupi Junior and Randal Kolo Muani, and has grown into something of a cult figure at Selhurst Park. His contributions have helped push Crystal Palace to success in both the FA Cup and the Europa League over the past couple of seasons.
Mateta stands at 6’4” and embodies the archetypal traditional No.9 for English football: a powerful presence who complicates life for centre-halves with his physicality, while offering underrated link-up play and confident finishes with either foot. His goalscoring record—twelve last season, fourteen the year before, and sixteen prior to that—underscores his clinical touch. On average, he has scored close to one goal every three games for Palace, a rate achieved even as the south London club has often played a more defensively structured system under Oliver Glasner.
Crucially, Mateta would be open to operating in a supporting role at Old Trafford, accepting a back-up option to Sesko in a manner that more high-profile targets might resist. Rudy Galetti, a noted transfer analyst, has confirmed United’s interest in Mateta, with Palace reportedly valuing their talisman at around £25 million as his contract nears its expiry next summer. While negotiations for an extension continue at Selhurst Park, no breakthrough agreement has yet been reached.
There has been speculation that Atlético Madrid, Juventus, and Manchester United are all monitoring Mateta’s situation, a triangle of interest that underscores how highly his Premier League form has been regarded by major clubs in Europe. As United weigh their forward options, Mateta’s blend of physical presence, reliable finishing, and willingness to operate as a supportive partner to Sesko positions him as a practical and intriguing alternative in their ongoing search for a balanced, effective attacking unit.