Wednesday's gossip: Villa make offer for Palace striker Mateta

What the report says

BBC Sport Football reports that Aston Villa have stepped up their search for attacking reinforcements by making an offer for Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta. The reported bid is said to be below Palace’s valuation, and the 29-year-old France international remains the subject of interest as Villa continue to weigh options in the market.

The same transfer roundup says Villa are close to finalising a separate move for Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson in a deal worth about €70m, which would add another senior striker to their squad. The article frames both developments as part of a busy late-window push by Villa, while noting that the Mateta approach has not yet met Palace’s asking price.

Elsewhere, the bulletin says Manchester United are considering contact with Stuttgart over young defender Finn Jeltsch, while Manchester City plan to make a formal offer to Chelsea for midfielder Enzo Fernandez before the window closes. It also mentions possible moves involving Tottenham, Newcastle, Leeds United, Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest and Hull City. The broader context is that Premier League clubs are still active in late summer as they look to strengthen squads before the transfer deadline, though many of the reported links remain at an early stage and are sourced to other outlets.