DONE DEAL: Nottingham Forest Defeats AC Milan and Liverpool to Finalize agreement of €35 million-rated Crystal Palace Striker. As Oliver Glasner is set to reunites with one of his most trusted stars…

**NOTTINGHAM FOREST COMPLETE €35M SIGNING OF JEAN-PHILIPPE MATETA**

 

 

Nottingham Forest have completed the headline signing of Crystal Palace striker **Jean-Philippe Mateta** for a fee valued at €35 million (£30 million), securing the French forward on a three-year deal.

The City Ground outfit won an intense European transfer battle, fending off high-profile interest from heavyweights AC Milan and Liverpool. Mateta, who enjoyed the most prolific campaign of his career under new Forest manager Oliver Glasner at Selhurst Park, now reunites with the Austrian strategist in Nottingham.

Reunited at the City Ground

 

The transfer represents a major coup for Forest, who moved swiftly following Glasner’s arrival as head coach earlier this July. Having previously overseen Mateta’s rise into one of Premier League football’s most potent central strikers, Glasner made securing his former talisman a top priority for Forest’s summer recruitment drive.

Mateta was central to Palace’s remarkable silverware run under Glasner, scoring crucial goals en route to FA Cup success, a Community Shield triumph over Liverpool, and European glory in the UEFA Conference League.

> “Reuniting with Oliver Glasner was a massive factor in my decision,” Mateta expressed following the announcement. “We achieved incredible things together, and when the project at Nottingham Forest was presented to me, I knew it was the right step for my career.”

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Beating the European Competition

 

While both AC Milan and Liverpool held formal inquiries for the 29-year-old forward, Forest’s decisive approach and the opportunity for immediate starting minutes under Glasner swung the decision in favor of the East Midlands club.

For Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis, the €35 million outlay demonstrates continuous backing for the squad ahead of the 2026/27 Premier League season. Mateta’s arrival gives Forest a proven frontline presence capable of holding up play, pressing aggressively, and scoring in big moments.

With medical tests successfully completed and personal terms agreed on a contract running through June 2029, Mateta is set to join pre-season preparations immediately ahead of Forest’s season opener against Leeds United.