Eagles star explains how likes of Mbappe, Olise, Konate make him want to change clubs

Jean-Philippe Mateta has never been shy about his goals. The Crystal Palace striker, inspired by all the accomplished strikers surrounding him, used a France camp media session to express his desire to take the next step in his career.

Mateta, 28, has cultivated notoriety status in the Premier League over the past two campaigns. He scored 17 goals in all competitions last season, helping Palace secure the FA Cup (their first major trophy in club history). 

He also impressed at the 2024 Paris Olympics as one of the overage players, scoring five in six matches as Les Bleus won silver. 

The Eagles star has finally earned a senior team call-up under Didier Deschamps ahead of the October 2025 World Cup qualifiers vs Azerbaijan and Iceland. 

While with the France national team, Mateta addressed reporters about his ambitions. He pointed out that being surrounded by top players raises the bar:

“It’s natural; every ambitious player wants to reach that milestone,” he said, per RMCSport. “Especially when you arrive in the national team and around you, there are only players who play in the Champions League, who win the biggest trophies. When you play surrounded by the best players in the world, naturally you want to reach that milestone.”

Last summer, Mateta was linked with a move to Atalanta, Liverpool and Manchester United, among other clubs. However, he remains a Crystal Palace player, and the club are working on renewing his contract, which expires in 2027.