Jean-Philippe Mateta’s situation is at serious risk of turning into a soap opera. On Friday there was a sense of optimism, with some even claiming the deal was already done, but yesterday Crystal Palace decided to pull back, refusing to give the player final clearance to leave London and move to Italy. Alongside this, there is also the Nkunku issue, which is closely tied to the operation, because if Mateta were to arrive, Milan would like to try to move the Frenchman elsewhere.
However, the situation is more complicated and broader than initially expected, as also clarified this morning by La Gazzetta dello Sport, which ran the headline: "Nkunku will stay even if a centre-forward arrives. Palace’s green light is missing." This explains why Mateta is still not in Milan.
