AC Milan pulled out of a deal to sign Jean-Philippe Mateta due to concerns over an injury he sustained six years ago.
The Crystal Palace striker looked destined to join the Italian giants after a deal worth around £30million was agreed between the two clubs.
However, after the 28-year-old completed his medical, AC Milan opted to turn their backs on the switch.
It was a transfer saga that dominated transfer deadline day and has ultimately left Mateta in limbo over his future.
Jean-Philippe Mateta Medical Details Emerge
After the results of Mateta’s medical were submitted to AC Milan, the club flew their own doctor to London to undergo further tests.
The immediate concern surrounded his right knee and an underlying issue that he picked up while playing for Mainz in the 2018/19 campaign.
He spent a significant time on the sidelines after a meniscus tear, which is damage to the knee cartilage.
In July 2019, he underwent surgery, which ruled him out of action until December.
Reports in Italy claim that AC Milan wanted further clarification on the injury to determine whether it could cause any issues going forward.
After their doctor finalised his tests, it was determined that while Mateta is fit to play now, they have concerns over his long-term availability.
AC Milan will return to Europe next season, and there were major doubts whether he would be able to withstand the rigour of playing across all competitions.
There were also fears that Mateta may have to undergo more surgery in the future, so AC Milan decided to walk away in the final stages.
AC Milan have history of pulling out of deals following an in-depth medical review and will recall the Victor Boniface incident.
Last summer, they looked set to sign the striker but pulled out of a deal due to a knee issue picked up during a medical.
Boniface would then move to Werder Bremen on loan before suffering an ACL injury just 11 games into the Bundesliga season.
What next for Mateta?
Mateta now faces a dilemma at Crystal Palace.
He made it clear he wanted to leave during the January window and was left out of the squad in the 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest last weekend.
With ambitions to represent France at the World Cup, Mateta will need to build some bridges to ensure he’s playing regularly between now and the summer.
Competition for places also increased at the club after Palace finalised a £43million deal to sign Jorgen Strand Larsen from Wolves.
It’s been a turbulent time at the club this season, with manager Oliver Glasner revealing he’s leaving in the summer when his contract expires.
Palace are also being slowly sucked into a relegation scrap and are currently on a run of 12 games without a victory in all competitions.
They are currently the sixth favourites at 8/1 to be relegated from the Premier League.
