Dan Bardell reacts to Aston Villa’s offer for Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta and questions whether the Frenchman fits what Unai Emery needs, with Villa considering several forward options as uncertainty continues around Ollie Watkins’ future.
Aston Villa have made an offer to sign Jean-Philippe Mateta from Crystal Palace, but the fact that the bid has fallen well short of Palace’s valuation leaves me wondering whether this is a deal Villa genuinely intend to pursue or simply one part of a much wider striker search.
David Ornstein has revealed Villa’s approach for the France international, who has been on the club’s radar for some time and was also among the forwards considered in January, but I would be surprised if Mateta is currently at the very top of the list.
If Unai Emery could choose the striker he wanted to either replace Ollie Watkins or potentially add alongside him, I still think Nicolas Jackson would be the obvious option.
There has been noise surrounding Jackson and Villa throughout the summer and, purely from a footballing perspective, I can understand that one considerably more than Mateta. Jackson is younger and possesses many of the attributes Watkins has brought to Emery's attack, meaning you could see a natural progression from one to the other rather than having to significantly alter what Villa ask their centre-forward to do.
That is my biggest concern with Mateta.
This is not about whether he is a good Premier League striker because clearly he is, but recruitment has to be about finding players who suit what you are building rather than simply collecting good footballers, and I am not convinced his profile fits what Villa need from their next centre-forward.
Mateta is around a similar age to Watkins, would presumably command a significant wage and does not provide the same all-round skillset, whereas Jackson would represent a younger replacement who could potentially develop in the position for a number of years.
That is the direction I would rather see Villa take, particularly when Brian Madjo is so young and the future of Tammy Abraham could also change before the transfer window closes.
Different positions require different recruitment strategies. I have been positive about Villa bringing in somebody such as Leon Goretzka because I think experience, leadership and proven quality are things the midfield could benefit from, but I do not think Villa need to apply the same thinking at centre-forward.
If Watkins leaves, I would rather see Villa invest in somebody younger who can become the next striker rather than spending significant money replacing him with somebody of a similar age.
There are other complications surrounding Mateta too, including his contractual situation at Palace, but fundamentally my reservations come back to the football and the profile Villa should be targeting.
The other interesting element is how far Villa’s opening offer apparently sits below Palace’s valuation.
Villa will have a very good idea what Palace want for Mateta before submitting a bid and they are not in a financial position where they can afford to massively overpay for somebody who does not completely fit the profile they are looking for, so it will be fascinating to see whether negotiations genuinely progress from here.
There could also be a wider transfer strategy at play.
Villa are speaking about multiple forwards and Mateta is clearly one of them, while Jackson has been discussed throughout the summer and other names have appeared at various stages. Creating alternatives gives Villa leverage because Chelsea need to know they can walk away from Jackson, just as Watkins and his representatives need to understand Villa are capable of moving on themselves.
I am not saying that is definitely what is happening with Mateta, because that would be speculation, but I would not be surprised if Villa are simultaneously working on several possibilities while waiting for the striker market to move during the final days of the window.
Mateta may well sit somewhere near the top of that list without necessarily being number one.
If Villa cannot make Jackson work, perhaps they move down that list and Mateta becomes more prominent, but the club have to be disciplined because there is no point allowing the pressure of the final week of the window to dictate a major long-term decision.
Villa need another striker solution, particularly while Watkins’ future remains uncertain, but they also need to get the profile right.
For me, Mateta is a good striker.
I am just not convinced he is the right Aston Villa striker.
