The intriguing Tottenham and Crystal Palace player swap deal that would see both clubs sign top targets

Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace are both interested in players on each other’s rosters

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Tottenham Hotspur will be keeping a close eye on Premier League rivals Crystal Palace as we head into the January transfer window.

The Eagles are currently wrapped up in a complicated contract situation involving Jean-Philippe Mateta, which has cast doubts over his future at the club.

Conversations between the club and player over a new deal have recently stalled, with reports suggesting Mateta is ‘in no rush’ to put pen to paper at Crystal Palace. This could force the Eagles to open the floor to offers for the 28-year-old, who has scored seven Premier League goals so far this season, including a hat-trick against Bournemouth.

Tottenham make Jean-Philippe Mateta a ‘priority’ transfer target

Spurs will certainly be on high alert as Mateta’s contract talks remain deadlocked as things stand. Thomas Frank is looking to sign a new striker in January and this could well be their big opportunity.

That’s according to Football Insider, who report that Tottenham are ‘keen to exploit’ the current standstill in conversations between Mateta and Crystal Palace. The Frenchman has become a ‘priority’ target for the January window as Frank looks to boost his output in attack.

Spurs have started to rely on Richarlison again up front but they are still eager to provide competition for the Brazilian and give themselves extra options to rotate between.

Mateta’s situation could well fall right into the lap of Spurs but they also have a player Crystal Palace have been keeping tabs on.

Crystal Palace target Brennan Johnson at Tottenham

Interestingly, it has emerged that the Eagles are interested in signing Brennan Johnson from Spurs. The Telegraph has reported that the Wales international is on the club’s list of ‘potential January signings’ as they look to further stack their squad as they make Champions League football a priority.

The report claims that Palace will need to find out their rivals’ stance on Johnson within the team before they can consider a move. However, he has been in and out of Frank’s starting line-up this season, suggesting the manager isn’t totally convinced on including Johnson in his plans.

Johnson has started 11 Premier League games this season but he has also made several cameo appearances, including three outings made up of ten minutes or less.

With his future seemingly swaying towards the more uncertain side, Tottenham and Palace could find a way to both get what they want with a player swap deal. In an ideal world, it would be easy to just swap out players in this manner but of course, it’s never that easy.

However, both sides fit a potential switch rather well. Mateta is dragging his feet over a new Palace deal and Tottenham are very keen on signing him in the new year. Meanwhile, the Eagles have their eye on Johnson and his inconsistent starts under Frank suggest he often isn’t one of the first names on the team-sheet these days.