With their next Premier League fixture against reigning champions Arsenal, the Midlanders could've done without the 4-0 thumping that they received at Brighton on the opening day of the 2026/27 season.
Terrible transfer window for Aston Villa
The Villans were, frankly, awful in that game, and it showed just what's in store for them without the powerful running of Morgan Rogers, the technical qualities of Youri Tielemans, and the defensive excellence of Ezri Konsa, all of whom have been sold this summer.
The transfer situation could get even worse if deals for Emi Martinez and Ollie Watkins come to fruition, so it's little wonder that Unai Emery and the board of the club are doing their level best to bring in some reinforcements.
One player who Emery is apparently keen to bring to Villa Park after hopefully landing Nicolas Jackson is Crystal Palace hit-man Jean-Philippe Mateta, though the South Londoners have, to this point, rebuffed their advances.
Having lost some of their biggest names over the past few seasons - Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze, Marc Guehi and Maxence Lacroix - understandably, Palace manager Pierre Sage would want to keep hold of the striker.
Not least because of how important the Frenchman has been to the club in terms of his output.
Mateta has been brilliant for Crystal Palace
Since moving to Selhurst Park back in 2020, Mateta has made 203 first-team appearances in all competitions, scoring 62 goals and providing 13 assists.
His strength and physicality have served him well, and though he might be considered a more 'old school' centre-forward simply because of his excellence as a target man, to label him as such would be to do him a disservice.
In order to be able to thrive in the modern game, which Mateta has, you have to have more about you than just being a player who can hold up play and score the odd goal.
For example, his tackle success rate has improved immeasurably over the course of his time in South London, being just 14.29% during his first season in the English top-flight, and going as high as 68.18% in 2023/24.
Decent work-rate to add to his goals
116 headed clearances and 154 clearances more generally certainly show that Mateta is willing to put a shift in defensively when needed, and for a manager such as Emery, who demands the absolute maximum from his players each week, that will be music to the Spaniard's ears.
Not the quickest across the ground, he will still get up and down the pitch if needed, and Mateta has managed to win back possession on 331 separate occasions, including 183 times in the midfield areas.
It's in the box where he comes into his own, however, making his presence felt whenever a cross comes in to the areas in which he patrols.
322 shots taken over the past few seasons have seen a shooting accuracy of anywhere between 33.33% and 62.26%, though his conversion rate would need to be improved.
Current deal runs out next year
Unlike several other metrics, Mateta's shot conversion has gone in reverse, starting at a healthy 37.5%, but dropping to 20% last season.
Three hat-tricks and seven braces, as well as 10 penalties scored from 12 taken, all indicate the Frenchman's eye for goal, and what he brings to his current team, though it won't have escaped anyone at Palace that Mateta now has less than a year left on his current contract, and would be free to speak to interested parties in just four months' time.
With no movement on the player's side in terms of showing any willingness to sign a new deal, the possibility of him moving for free at the end of the season remains a real one.
In fact, it's reported that Mateta has even gone to FIFA to have his contract annulled as he believes it's invalid, so the Eagles' hierarchy can't be naive to the possibility that the striker will try and leave on his own terms.
If they wanted to get something for the 6ft 4in front man, they need to get around the negotiating table with Villa quickly.
From Mateta's own point of view, the thought of playing in the Champions League would surely appeal, and with less than a week left of the current transfer window in any event, his situation will become much clearer in a few days.
Jason Pettigrove has been the features writer for Flashscore since 2025, utilising Opta data to form the basis of his articles. He has previously worked for high profile football clubs, news and media outlets, both in print and digital, and can usually be found watching FC Barcelona when time permits. You can read more of his pieces here.
