Crystal Palace sign Mateta on 18-month deal

LONDON: Crystal Palace have completed the loan signing of forward Jean-Philippe Mateta from Mainz on an 18-month deal.

The Eagles have the option to make the move permanent and this transfer is the latest effort by the club to bring down their average age of the squad.

Mateta is the third player aged 23 or under to join Palace since the summer following the additions of Nathan Ferguson and Ebere Eze.

A former France Under-21 international, he will provide competition up front for Roy Hodgson, who has used winger Wilfried Zaha in a central forward position this season and seen the attacker score eight goals.

After success with Chateauroux as a teenager, Mateta joined Lyon before he made the switch to Germany in 2018.