Crystal Palace striker Jean Philippe Mateta has detailed what it was like to see his dream move to AC Milan collapse in the January transfer window.
L’Equipe have an interview with the 28-year-old today. He discusses the transfer failure and the impact it had on him.
January transfer cancelled
The Crystal Palace striker was due to join AC Milan towards the end of the January transfer window as the Italians sought a new striker to bolster their options.
The deal was progressing, with it getting to the point that Milan were waiting for a green light to put Jean Philippe Mateta on a flight and get the deal done.
Then it all started collapsing. AC Milan had been warned by doctors about the striker’s knees. Various medical tests then confirmed there were issues and the deal was completely shut down.
The misery didn’t end there, though. Mateta was then forced to return to Crystal Palace, where he then spent 38 days out of action and missed eight games of a crucial part of the season recovering.
He’s now back to his best but admits that the whole affair took him time to get over emotionally.
“I’m at my best, 100%,” he said.
“When you come back, it’s not easy to get your cardio back. I worked hard to get it back, and it’s back. I’m a leader on the team. I’m used to competition; it’s good for me.
“Frankly, it was a real blow at the time, when they told me it was over… After that, I quickly thought about how to bounce back.
“I consulted several specialists, and when they assured me that surgery wasn’t necessary, I focused on the next step, until my return. I worked incredibly hard to show the coach (Oliver Glasner) that the leader, “JP,” was there to reclaim his place and win with the team.”
Crystal Palace competition
The awkward element to the whole affair was that Crystal Palace had spent €55.6m to sign Jörgen Strand Larsen from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That’s created competition which wasn’t there previously. But the French striker insists there’s no problems in the group.
“I don’t think I’m the first to fail my medical, and I won’t be the last,” he concluded.
“The players know me, and so does the coach. They know that when I’m in the dressing room, I’m 100% there to win. Another striker arrived in the meantime. I’m working with him. It’s not a bad thing to rotate; I’m not lacking match fitness.”
