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Tottenham made late summer overtures for this PL star before landing Randal Kolo Muani

Originally posted on To The Lane And Back
By Rohan Sengupta | Last updated Sep 4, 2025 5:47 PM ET

Tottenham enquired about Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta before settling for Randal Kolo Muani from PSG on loan

Tottenham Hotspur welcomed seven signings during the summer transfer window, as they gave Thomas Frank’s squad a big boost ahead of the gruelling campaign.

The arrival of Randal Kolo Muani on the deadline day was the north Londoners’ final summer addition, rounding off the first phase of squad rebuild under Thomas Frank. Randal Kolo Muani has joined Frank’s side on a season-long loan from Paris Saint-Germain. After his deal with Juventus collapsed, the north Londoners swooped to sign the France international over fears that Dominic Solanke’s ankle injury could be worse than first feared.

The Spurs gaffer has now plenty of attacking options at his disposal, with the club doing their bit to compensate for Son Heung-min’s exit and the loss of James Maddison to a serious knee injury. However, it has now become clear that Kolo Muani was not the club’s first-choice option.

Tottenham made a late enquiry for Crystal Palace striker

The Hotspur Way chiefs certainly would have been taken aback by Solanke’s injury. The England international’s injury setback left Spurs with little choice but to recruit a striker in the final days of the transfer window.

The idea to quickly negotiate with PSG to sign Kolo Muani on loan was a smart one and serves the purpose, but it has now emerged that the 26-year-old was not the primary target. According to Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol on X, Tottenham made a late enquiry to Crystal Palace over the availability of Jean-Philippe Mateta. No official bid was tabled for the striker, who bagged 14 Premier League goals for the Eagles last season.

Crystal Palace snubbed bids worth up to £50m for Jean-Philippe Mateta earlier in the summer transfer window. Several Premier League clubs showed a late interest in the Frenchman, as well as Serie A sides AC Milan, Juventus and Atalanta, adds Solhekol.

Spurs make revive their interest Mateta next year

Tottenham had to take a dip in the market for a new striker owing to Solanke’s latest ankle injury and the poor fitness of Richarlison. Kolo Muani has been brought in to not only compensate for Solanke’s injury loss, but also address the team’s lack of quality and shortage of goals up top.

The Frenchman did show glimpses of his goalscoring on loan at Juventus during the second half of last season, netting eight in 16 league games. Set to be at the club only until the end of the season due to the loan terms, the PSG flop will offer a short-term fix to Frank’s side. With that in mind, it makes sense for the Hotspur Way bosses to revive their interest in Mateta in 2026.

Mateta has proven himself in the Premier League with 30 Premier League goals across two seasons at Palace. At 28, he is in the peak of his powers and would be a solid option to potentially replace Richarlison at N17 next term.

This article first appeared on To The Lane And Back and was syndicated with permission.

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