Jean-Philippe Mateta remains grateful for the failed medical that thwarted his prospective move to AC Milan last season, as it revealed the true extent of his knee injury.
Mateta was set to sign for the Rossoneri at the end of the 2026 winter transfer window, having expressed his desire to leave Crystal Palace midway through last season.
Despite Palace planning for his departure by signing Jorgen Strand Larsen from Wolves, Mateta’s move to Italy fell through when he failed a medical due to a meniscus issue.
Subsequent reports said the issue had been persistent since Mateta ruptured his meniscus while playing for Mainz in 2019, and he was sidelined for a month after returning to Palace.
However, the Frenchman returned to action in March and helped Palace win the Conference League in May, scoring the only goal as they defeated Rayo Vallecano 1-0 in the final.
Mateta finished the campaign with 16 goals in 50 appearances across all competitions, with only Ismaila Sarr (21) outscoring him for the Eagles.
And though Mateta was initially disappointed that his move to Serie A did not go through, he says the episode was a blessing in disguise.
“I was going through the medical exam and suddenly everything stopped,” Mateta told Canal+ Foot.
“My knee injury was actually more serious than I had been told. At that moment, when they explained it to me, all sorts of things went through my head.
“Ultimately, I don’t regret anything, because if I hadn’t done that medical exam, how long would I have been dragging this knee issue along?
“Luckily, I had that medical and found out exactly what was wrong with me.”
Having helped France reach the semi-finals of this summer’s World Cup, making two appearances as they finished fourth, Mateta will hope to lead Palace to another positive campaign in 2026-27. They visit Everton on the opening matchday of the Premier League season.
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