Sam Allardyce will undoubtedly be delighted at what West Ham are planning to do in the January transfer window.
Big Sam surely will be keeping tabs on his former club and would want them to strengthen in the transfer window and avoid relegation from the Premier League.
West Ham take on Manchester United next and a loss in that one could see them ending the matchweek in 19th place, which is far from what was expected at the start of the season.
Sam Allardyce will be thrilled as West Ham eye Jean-Philippe Mateta transfer
West Ham are keen on signing Jean-Philippe Mateta in the January transfer window as his contract talks with Crystal Palace have stalled.
The France international has been in exceptional form for the Selhurst Park outfit and that has led to a number of clubs showing an interest in him.
His contract at Palace runs out in the summer of 2027, but the club want to tie him down to a new deal as they want to retain his services for as long as they possibly can.
How much will Jean-Philippe Mateta cost in January?
However, a breakdown in talks has led to the Hammers making contact as they want to bring the 28-year-old to the London Stadium.
This most certainly will delight Allardyce, who is a big fan of the French forward.
Speaking about him in 2025, he said: “Man United should have bought him [Mateta] without a doubt.
“Arsenal could have bought him, you know what I mean? And he would have flourished, you know what I mean? I mean, look at Crystal Palace.
“Crystal Palace, 18 games undefeated, and he is one of the main reasons that they are where they are because it’s not just his goal scoring ability, it’s all around play, no bullying, you can’t bully him.
“He can bully you, and it’s that because it’s not fashionable for the top clubs now, they have to be more slick, more rubbish, get him in your team.”
Can West Ham convince Mateta to join?
Given the year he’s had, Mateta is now a prime candidate to be a starter for France at the World Cup.
With Kylian Mbappe playing off the left, a very good argument could be made for him playing as the number nine.
That means that he is going to have clubs richer than West Ham, who can not only offer him more wages, but also Champions League football and the chance to compete for silverware.
The Hammers hierarchy would have to make an unbelievable pitch to Mateta and promise to build the team around him for him to consider moving to the London Stadium.
The chances of that are minimal unless he falls out at Selhurst Park and wants to remain in England with no other Premier League side willing to take a punt on him.
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