'Good for him' - Saint Etienne chief sends message to Jean-Philippe Mateta after failed transfer

Saint-Etienne's sporting director Loic Perrin says his club had reached an agreement for the signing of Jean-Philippe Mateta before the Frenchman put pen to paper on a permanent deal at Selhurst Park.

The 24-year-old striker converted his 18-month loan deal from German side Mainz into a permanent four-and-a-half-year contract at Crystal Palace on transfer deadline day this week.

There had been speculation about Mateta's future at the club earlier in the window, but a run of games in Patrick Vieira's side saw the forward play himself into form and change his employer's minds.

This was to the detriment of Ligue 1 side Saint Etienne, who had been hopeful of prizing Mateta away from London earlier in the window.

The Greens were only able to make one signing during the January window, bringing in former Manchester City and Everton defender Eliaquim Mangala for free on a six-month deal.

Their head coach Pascal Dupraz said in early January that he had been having regular phone calls with Mateta and that their will was 'unanimous' in wanting to sign him.

Now the club's sporting director Perrin has added that the striker was Saint Etienne's number one transfer target during the window and that a deal had been put in place for him to head to France.

"Our order of priority was a striker, a winger and a central defender. The first option on the table was Jean-Philippe Mateta," Perrin told L'Equipe on Wednesday.

“After reaching an agreement with him and staying in constant contact, he started playing and scoring in England. Crystal Palace exercised the purchase option of €11m before he played 17 matches. Good for him.”

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish was pleased to get the deal for Mateta completed on deadline day, adding: “We