Aston Villa have registered interest in signing Jean-Philippe Mateta, with Crystal Palace weighing up a move for Villa’s Evann Guessand as his replacement.
Mateta has expressed his desire to leave Selhurst Park this month and has less than 18 months on his contract. The France striker is understood to have agreed terms with Juventus but the Italian side failed to reach an agreement with Palace over a loan that would include an obligation to buy at the end of the season.
Juventus are believed to have offered up to €30m (£26m), with Palace holding out for €40m. The Italian club are thought to be targeting Fenerbahce’s Morocco striker Youssef En-Nesyri instead, leaving the door open to Villa.
Villa are in the market for a forward after selling Donyell Malen to Roma last week and are deciding whether to bid for Mateta. Only four players have scored more goals in the Premier League than Mateta since the arrival of Oliver Glasner as Palace manager nearly two years ago and the 28-year-old would add much-needed firepower to Villa’s squad.
Unai Emery’s side have also been in talks with Roma over a move for Tammy Abraham, who is on loan at Besiktas. That has been complicated by the fact Roma do not have a recall clause for the former Chelsea striker and Besiktas have a conditional obligation to make his move permanent at the end of the season. Abraham spent a season on loan at Villa when they were in the Championship in 2018-19 and is thought to be keen to return to the Premier League.
Palace, who remain in talks with Angers over a fee for the 19-year-old striker Sidiki Chérif, were interested in signing Guessand in the summer from Nice before he opted to join Villa for about £30m. The Côte d’Ivoire forward has started only six Premier League games and recently returned from the Africa Cup of Nations. Palace are understood to have inquired about his availability, with Guessand capable of playing wide or through the middle.
Jørgen Strand Larsen of Wolves is another target should Mateta depart this month, and Palace are monitoring Andoni Iraola as a candidate to replace Glasner when he leaves in the summer. The Bournemouth manager is out of contract at the end of the season and has attracted interest from other Premier League clubs.
Ethan Nwaneri is poised to join Marseille on loan until the end of the season, with Arsenal keen to allow the England Under-21 midfielder to depart given he has barely featured this season.
Nwaneri has played 165 minutes in the Premier League, having excelled in his breakthrough campaign, when he scored nine goals in all competitions. He has not appeared in the league since the end of November, when he came on in the north London derby.
Arsenal were initially reluctant to allow him to leave given they are still in four competitions but it is understood they have recognised Nwaneri needs game time. Crystal Palace and West Ham are believed to have also shown interest in a loan but Marseille, coached by Roberto De Zerbi, have emerged as his expected destination after positive talks with the Premier League leaders over the terms of a deal.
The French side are to pay a loan fee but there will be no option to make his move permanent at the end of the season, with Nwaneri considered one of Arsenal’s brightest talents. He signed a new five-year deal in August after strong interest from Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund.
The 18-year-old is with the Arsenal squad for their Champions League game at Inter on Tuesday and is expected to complete his move this week.
Oleksandr Zinchenko also looks poised to leave, with Ajax in talks over a permanent deal for the Ukraine international. He is on loan at Nottingham Forest but has only started four Premier League games.
