One of Crystal Palace’s top players has opened the door to an exit after admitting he wants to play for a ‘big English club’.
Palace fans have grown used to losing their best talents leave down the years, with Wilfried Zaha, Michael Olise, and latterly Eberechi Eze departing in recent years. Marc Guehi could soon follow them.
But now Oliver Glasner’s side could lose another star man despite entering a golden era which saw them win the FA Cup last season and qualify for Europe.
Jean-Philippe Mateta has admitted to feeling left out on France duty when he is surrounded by players who feature in the Champions League.
The striker, who has hit 36 goals in the last two seasons, has been included in Didier Deschamps’ camp for the first time aged 28. He will be out of contract in 2027.
Asked if he wants to play for a ‘big English club,’ he told RMC Sport: ‘That is natural.
Jean-Philippe Mateta says he wants to play for a ‘big English club,’ opening the door to an exit from Crystal Palace
Mateta has received his first France call-up after a stunning couple of years of goalscoring
‘Every ambitious player wants to make that step, especially when you arrive in the national team and around you there are only players who are playing in the Champions League, who win the biggest trophies.
‘When you are surrounded by the best players in the world, naturally, you want to make that step.’
That said, perhaps the south London club will give him the opportunity to do just that without moving.
They sit sixth in the Premier League and only lost their 19-game unbeaten run at the weekend because of Jack Grealish’s 93rd-minute winner for Everton.
And they also sit fifth in the division’s annual table, having picked up 45 points in 26 games in 2025.
That’s only nine points worse off than leaders Arsenal and Liverpool, and with a game in hand.
‘I think that we have a good squad and an excellent manager who is doing a really good job. We try to implement everything that the manager wants,’ Mateta added.
‘We don’t just want to play like we did in recent years. I think that we have already progressed in these last two seasons and so I think that this year, we will be even more ambitious.’
