{"id":36263,"date":"2026-01-01T02:31:36","date_gmt":"2026-01-01T07:31:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/01\/01\/man-united-enter-market-for-premier-league-striker-as-sesco-continues-to-struggle\/"},"modified":"2026-01-01T02:31:36","modified_gmt":"2026-01-01T07:31:36","slug":"man-united-enter-market-for-premier-league-striker-as-sesco-continues-to-struggle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/01\/01\/man-united-enter-market-for-premier-league-striker-as-sesco-continues-to-struggle\/","title":{"rendered":"Man United enter market for Premier League striker as Sesco continues to struggle"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_74 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/01\/01\/man-united-enter-market-for-premier-league-striker-as-sesco-continues-to-struggle\/#Manchester_United_need_a_more_reliable_striker\" >Manchester United need a more reliable striker<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/01\/01\/man-united-enter-market-for-premier-league-striker-as-sesco-continues-to-struggle\/#Mateta_is_a_proven_goalscorer_with_a_strong_physical_presence\" >Mateta is a proven goalscorer with a strong physical presence<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<!-- Article Start --><\/p>\n<p><strong>According to a report from Football Insider, Manchester United are looking into the market for further attacking talent and have named Jean-Philippe Mateta as a potential option.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The 28-year-old Crystal Palace forward is yet to agree an extension to his contract at Selhurst Park, with his current contract running until the summer of 2027, a situation that has alarmed several Premier League clubs.<\/p>\n<p>United&#8217;s interest forms part of their plans to add depth, reliability and leadership up front.<\/p>\n<p>Ruben Amorim already has attacking options at his disposal, but there is a growing feeling within Old Trafford that the team still lacks a stable and authoritative presence up front.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Manchester_United_need_a_more_reliable_striker\"><\/span>Manchester United need a more reliable striker<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The Red Devils invested heavily in Benjamin \u0160e\u0161ko last summer, but the former RB Leipzig striker has struggled to justify the price tag so far.<\/p>\n<p>\u0160e\u0161ko, who has scored just two goals in 20 appearances this season, has found adapting to the Premier League more difficult than expected.<\/p>\n<p>Joshua Zirkzee, on the other hand, has endured an uncertain campaign in and out of contention, limited by inconsistent playing time and tactical preferences.<\/p>\n<p>This background explains why Mateta has emerged as a serious consideration. The France international has quietly become one of Crystal Palace&#8217;s most important attacking players.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Mateta_is_a_proven_goalscorer_with_a_strong_physical_presence\"><\/span>Mateta is a proven goalscorer with a strong physical presence<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>He impressed not only with his goal-scoring quality, but also with his physicality and ability to work with his teammates.<\/p>\n<p>He has scored seven league goals this season, including one against Man United last month, and his performances reportedly caught the attention of United&#8217;s recruitment staff.<\/p>\n<p>Below is a breakdown of his stats at Crystal Palace, showing that he has improved his consistency levels.<\/p>\n<table data-path-to-node=\"2\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>season<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Total matches<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>the goal<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>assist<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,1,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"2,1,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">2025\/26<\/b> <\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,1,1,0\">twenty one<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,1,2,0\">7<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,1,3,0\">1<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,2,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"2,2,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">2024\/25<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,2,1,0\">46<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,2,2,0\">17<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,2,3,0\">3<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,3,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"2,3,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">2023\/24<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,3,1,0\">39<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,3,2,0\">19<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,3,3,0\">5<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,4,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"2,4,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">2022\/23<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,4,1,0\">32<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,4,2,0\">2<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,4,3,0\">0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,5,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"2,5,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">2021\/22<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,5,1,0\">28<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,5,2,0\">7<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,5,3,0\">1<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,6,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"2,6,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">2020\/21<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,6,1,0\">7<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,6,2,0\">1<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,6,3,0\">0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,7,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"2,7,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">total<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,7,1,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"2,7,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">173<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,7,2,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"2,7,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">53<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"2,7,3,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"2,7,3,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">10<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Mateta&#8217;s development under previous Palace managers is noteworthy. Once seen primarily as a pure, physical striker, he has honed his movement, link-up play and decision-making in the final third.<\/p>\n<p>Palace are not under immediate pressure to sell, but interest from a prestigious club like United could test their resolve, especially if Mateta is open to a new challenge.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Manchester United are preparing to spend \u20ac150m on signing &#8216;one of the best midfield talents in the world&#8217;<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><!-- Article End -->\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>According to a report from Football Insider, Manchester United are looking into the market for further attacking talent and have named Jean-Philippe Mateta as a potential option. The 28-year-old Crystal Palace forward is yet to agree an extension to his contract at Selhurst Park, with his current contract running until the summer of 2027, a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36264,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[40],"class_list":{"0":"post-36263","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-football","8":"tag-football"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36263","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36263"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36263\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36264"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36263"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}