The transfer of Jean-Philippe Mateta to AC Milan has collapsed after the player failed his medical. According to previous reports, Milan had reached a €32 million agreement with Crystal Palace for the forward.
A Milan correspondent wrote on MilanNews, detailing the specific issues with Mateta's knee.
Milan had seemingly all but completed the signing of Mateta from Crystal Palace. The Rossoneri had long tracked the French forward, identifying him as the ideal candidate to strengthen their attack next season in line with the head coach's tactical intentions. In fact, the management's initial plan was to sign Mateta in the summer transfer window, when his contract with Crystal Palace would have entered its final year.
In the final days of this winter transfer window, circumstances emerged that allowed Milan to explore signing Mateta ahead of schedule. After reaching full agreement on all terms, Milan arranged for the player to undergo a medical in London on Sunday. The results raised concerns among Milan's medical team over certain potential risk factors. Given this was a major investment, Milan understandably sought a full and thorough assessment. A second round of in-depth tests was conducted yesterday morning, which ultimately led to the collapse of a deal that had appeared all but done.
According to information obtained by the journalist, under the on-site supervision of Dr. Mazzoni, the in-depth tests painted an unfavorable and far from negligible picture regarding Mateta's knee.
The medical results revealed issues with Mateta's knee, which British media had first reported on as early as mid-December. This leaves Mateta facing a difficult choice: he can either push through by receiving injections to continue playing, but risks worsening the injury, or he can opt for surgery to resolve the problem completely, which would rule him out for several months.
It must be noted that despite questions over his physical condition, Mateta has continued to feature in matches to this day. However, just as they did with Victor Boniface and Arthur Vermeeren in the summer, Milan decided to pull out of the deal in light of the test results. This decision confirms Milan's bottom line: the club will not proceed with major investments without absolute physical guarantees.
