According to L’Equipe (h/t Sport Witness), Everton may have to pay £35m to sign Jean-Philippe Mateta. The Toffees will have to battle Newcastle United, Southampton, Cardiff City and Watford for his signature, as the Mainz striker has attracted a lot of interest following his impressive debut season in the Bundesliga.
The 21-year-old joined Mainz from Olympique Lyonnais last summer and went on to make 36 appearances for his new club, scoring and creating 17 goals. Mateta could be on the move again as he has a number of Premier League sides looking to lure him away from the Open Arena, but he won’t come cheap.
Everton have already had a bid of £18m-£22m rejected by Mainz and may have to pay more than 40% more to bring him to Goodison Park. The Blues are keen to strengthen their strikeforce due to Cenk Tosun being surplus to requirements, but whether they’ll match Mateta’s asking price remains to be seen.
The French u21 international has enjoyed a prolific start to his career, contributing 19 goals in 27 games for LB Chateauroux and 19 goals in 37 games on loan at AC Le Havre (2017/18). He could have a bright future under the right guidance.