A week or so ago, we relayed an article from L’Equipe in France that Tottenham had offered Jean-Philippe Mateta a contract.
The 19-year-old striker, who currently plays for LB Chateauroux in France, made a big impact in the Coupe de La Ligue, scoring a hat trick, and interest from Montpellier and Spurs ensued.
Mateta’s agent then ended up telling FootMercato that his client didn’t particularly want to go to England just yet, as he knew that if he did, he wouldn’t get any game time and didn’t want to jump the gun.
The player’s decision to stay in France has clearly scuppered Spurs’ plans to bring in a talented young French player for their academy, but it’s first team football that the player wants.
Since then, L’Equipe report Lyon have joined the party, and they look the likeliest to get the talented forward, despite offers from the aforementioned Spurs, Fiorentina, Montpellier and Rennes.
While the transfer window is now shut, each French team is allowed one Joker signing, which has to come from another French club.
Will Lyon’s be Jean-Philippe Mateta? L’Equipe reckon it could be.
