Mateta claims final year of Palace deal is invalid

Jean-Philippe Mateta is arguing the remainder of his Crystal Palace contract is invalid and has taken his case to Fifa. Multiple sources have told sources the France international has launched an official challenge over the validity of the final 10 months on his Selhurst Park deal, which expires in June 2027. Mateta - who started Palace's Premier League opener at Everton on Saturday - signed for the club in 2021 from Mainz 05, initially on an 18-month loan. The striker signed a four-and-half year contract when joining permanently in January 2022, in a deal that also included the option of a 12-month extension. Palace activated that option in 2024, meaning Mateta's current deal is due to expire at the end of the season. But the 29-year-old is claiming the final year of his contract - the optional extra year - should be void and it is understood Mateta's case was heard by an independent sourcesl under the Premier League's rules. While there has been no official confirmation of the outcome, it understood Mateta's contract remained binding. He has since taken his argument to world football governing body Fifa, who ruled earlier this week that overruling the contract was not within its jurisdiction. sources has approached Mateta's representatives and Fifa for comment. If Mateta had successfully argued his contract is void it would possibly set the wheels in motion towards the forward becoming a free agent before the expiry of his Palace deal next year. Mateta has become a key figure for Palace since his arrival at Selhurst Park - scoring 67 goals for the club. He playing a major role in the club's historic FA Cup and Conference League triumphs under former manager Oliver Glasner. But Mateta pushed to leave Palace in January this year and was close to joining AC Milan. However, the deal did not go through because of an issue with Mateta's knee. Problems pile up for Palace It was not the best opening game of the season for Crystal Palace . Ismaila Sarr was not included in the matchday squad with new manager Pierre Sage revealing he has been struggling with an injury. Sources have told sources Sarr has not trained for the last two days, complaining of a groin issue, amid interest from Turkish side Galatasaray. Palace do not want to sell their star forward, who scored 21 goals in all competitions last season as the Eagles won the Community Shield and the Conference League. One source has said the interest from Galatasaray is concrete but only a bid well above market value would even be considered by the Eagles. Meanwhile, defender Chadi Riad was stretchered off with a serious knee injury in the 2-0 defeat at Goodison Park. Riad has been affected by knee injuries since joining Palace in 2024 - suffering an issue in his second game for the club. Back-to-back knee injuries saw him absent from the squad for more than 400 days. Wantaway players, an opening day defeat and a serious looking knee injury. The season couldn't have got off to a worse start for Sage. Cult-hero status under threat - analysis The contract situation with Mateta is the latest twist to what has been a rollercoaster time for the Frenchman at Crystal Palace . The 29-year-old has become a cult hero at the Eagles due to his trademark celebration where he kicks the corner flag to shouts of "boom" from supporters, while the striker also scored the winning goal in the final as Palace won the Conference League last season. It has not always been smooth sailing for Mateta though. The forward had a slow start to his Palace career but his trajectory was transformed under the guidance of former boss Glasner. Mateta became one of the most reliable strikers in the Premier League and scored 46 goals in 109 games in all competitions under the Austrian. That form led to interest in Mateta across Europe, and the contract standoff that has the club and the striker in the current situation. Mateta has always been highly ambitious and made clear his desire to play for clubs at the elite level of the game, even during times early on in his Palace career when his form made it seem unlikely. Alongside his aim to represent top clubs across Europe, Mateta has chased a place in the France national team and he achieved that goal in October last year before securing a place in the final 26-man squad for the World Cup. When it seemed like Mateta would leave the club in January, Palace moved to sign Jorgen Strand Larsen as a replacement for a deal wort