Manchester United are reportedly advancing talks to sign Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta this summer transfer window.
Journalist Rudy Galetti has reported that Michael Carrick’s side are pushing forward with negotiations to secure the French international’s signature.
The 29-year-old has just one year remaining on his contract at Selhurst Park, which could allow United to land him for as little as £25m.
That figure represents remarkable value for a striker who has netted 52 goals across all competitions over the last three seasons combined.
Mateta scored 12 Premier League goals last campaign, actually outscoring new signing Benjamin Sesko, who arrived for £70m from RB Leipzig last summer.
Red Devils legend Wayne Rooney has dubbed the Crystal Palace forward “one of the best strikers in Europe,” underlining the enormous respect Mateta commands.
Beyond his goalscoring, Mateta’s physical presence is equally impressive, winning 2.7 aerial duels per 90 minutes throughout the 2025/26 season.
That hold-up ability could make him the ideal focal point for Carrick’s attack, potentially freeing Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha to contribute more goals themselves.
The reported £25m fee draws obvious comparisons to United’s £24m signing of Robin van Persie from Arsenal back in the summer of 2012.
Van Persie proved to be one of the finest transfer pieces of business in the club’s 148-year history, arriving from a fellow Premier League rival to immediate effect.
The Dutchman scored 30 goals in 48 appearances during his debut season at Old Trafford, including 26 Premier League strikes that earned him the division’s top-scorer award.
Van Persie ended his Manchester United career with 58 goals in 105 appearances across all competitions, finding the net once every 1.8 matches on average.
United spent over £200m last summer on Cunha, Mbeumo and Sesko, with none of the three arriving for less than £60m, illustrating how dramatically the market has shifted.
The trio combined for 32 Premier League goals in their debut seasons, with Sesko and Mbeumo both finishing joint top of the club’s scoring charts on 11 goals each.
While Sesko remains the clear first-choice centre-forward option, adding Mateta would give Carrick genuine depth and competition for places in the final third.
A player of Mateta’s Premier League experience and proven goalscoring record for just £25m would represent exactly the kind of smart, targeted recruitment INEOS have been pursuing.
If the deal goes through and Mateta hits top form, United fans may well find themselves drawing the same Van Persie comparisons well into the 2026/27 campaign.