Palace put a fresh contract in front of Jean-Philippe Mateta in mid-July that would have tied him to Selhurst Park until 2030. Five weeks on, he has not signed it.

That silence is what Tottenham are trying to turn into leverage before the opening weekend, according to a Football Insider report on Thursday. Former Spurs scout Mick Brown told the outlet that Roberto De Zerbi’s side see the France international as an upgrade in attack and believe Palace’s contract standoff makes him available for a reduced fee.

“I think it’s clear at this point that they’re not entirely happy when you look at their current options. Are Dominic Solanke and Richarlison enough? They don’t think so,” Brown told Football Insider.

Palace ready to lose him for free

Palace’s position, per the same report, is that they would rather let Mateta run down his deal and leave on a free next summer than sell at a discount now. Manager Pierre Sage, appointed on a three-year deal to succeed Oliver Glasner, is understood to view him as a cornerstone of the squad.

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The Milan medical Mateta calls a blessing

Any suitor has to look through the €30m collapse in January, when AC Milan pulled a deadline-day deal after their medics flagged a meniscus problem that stemmed from an injury Mateta first sustained at Mainz in 2019, as Goal reported.

Speaking to Canal+ Foot this month, Mateta said he was grateful the deal died on the treatment table.

“I was going through the medical exam and suddenly everything stopped. My knee injury was actually more serious than I had been told,” he told the French broadcaster.

“Ultimately, I don’t regret anything, because if I hadn’t done that medical exam, how long would I have been dragging this knee issue along?”

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He returned to fitness in March and scored the winner as Palace beat Rayo Vallecano 1-0 in the Conference League final in May.

Solanke a doubt for Brentford

Solanke’s 2025-26 season ended early with a grade-two hamstring injury picked up in April, and his availability for the trip to Brentford on Saturday remains an open question. Kick-off at the Gtech Community Stadium is 5:30pm local time.

Palace start away at Everton the same day at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

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