Tottenham made late approach for this Premier League striker before Kolo Muani
Tottenham moved quickly to add to their attack with the loan signing of Randal Kolo Muani on deadline day.
The PSG star spent the second half of last season on loan at Juventus, but will be playing his football in North London this term, after some swift negotiations from the Lilywhites ahead of the deadline.
Kolo Muani’s arrival at Tottenham was their eighth and final addition of the summer window, and rounded off the drastic overhaul that has taken place in recent months.
Thomas Frank has plenty of fresh options within his squad, but it has now become clear that the most recent addition was not the first-choice option.
Tottenham made a late enquiry for Jean-Philippe Mateta
Dominic Solanke’s injury setback left Tottenham with little choice but to recruit a frontman in the final few days of the window.
The move to secure Kolo Muani’s signature has certainly satisfied that need, but it has now emerged that the France international was not at the top of Spurs’ list as the deadline approached on the horizon.
Tottenham made a late enquiry to Crystal Palace over the availability of Jean-Philippe Mateta, according to Sky Sports’ Kaveh Solhekol via his X account.
- Mateta has hit 30 Premier League goals across the last two seasons
- He previously managed just seven during his first two full campaigns in England
However, despite their approach to the South Londoners, no official bid was submitted for the frontman, who netted 14 league goals for the Eagles last term.
Several other Premier League clubs showed a last-minute interest in the 28-year-old, as well as Italian sides Atalanta, AC Milan and Juventus.
- Read More: Five players Tottenham missed out on during summer transfer window including Antoine Semenyo
Spurs need to go back in for Jean-Philippe Mateta in January
The struggles of Solanke and Richarlison have left Tottenham short of quality and goal-threat at the top of the pitch at times, and it was crucial that they addressed that in the summer.
However, Kolo Muani is a fairly short-term solution, given that he is only on a season-long loan deal at the moment.
With that in mind, it makes sense for the Lilywhites to head back in for Mateta when the window opens again in January, to secure themselves a more future-proof option.
The former Lyon man has burst into life in the last few seasons after a stuttering start in the Premier League, and he virtually guarantees goals at this point in his career.
The concerns regarding Solanke and Richarlison are ongoing, so if an opportunity arose to snatch Mateta, Spurs should look to seize it with both hands.
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