Aston Villa Makes Move for Mateta Amid Watkins Future Uncertainty

Aston Villa has made an official bid to Crystal Palace for the signing of French striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, reflecting the club's ongoing interest in the 29-year-old, according to David Ornstein from The Athletic.

According to the source, Aston Villa's offer was much lower than the value Crystal Palace is asking for to part with Mateta. However, the club's interest in the French striker remains strong, and negotiations have not stopped there.

Aston Villa's moves come amid uncertainty surrounding the future of their striker Ollie Watkins, who is linked with a transfer to Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal, prompting the club to seek options to bolster their attacking line.

At the same time, Aston Villa is working on several attacking options, having also made an inquiry to AC Milan for Portuguese forward Rafael Leão, in a move that reflects the club's desire to bolster its attack before the transfer window closes.

Mateta is one of the options being considered to replace a potential departure of Watkins, but the difference between Aston Villa's offer and Crystal Palace's valuation could pose a hurdle to completing the deal.