Transfer news and rumours: Mateta asking price, Diouf to Brentford, Ward-Prowse to Southampton

Crystal Palace have reportedly set an asking price for wantaway striker Jean-Phillipe Mateta ahead of the September 1 transfer deadline.

The 29-year-old is keen to leave Selhurst Park and is currently involved in a dispute over the validity of his contract, claiming that the final year should be ruled invalid.

New head coach Pierre Sage recently claimed that he expects Mateta to remain at Palace and has insisted that the Frenchman remains fully committed to the club.

This is despite interest from clubs including Aston Villa, who have already seen an opening offer fall ‘considerably short’ of Palace’s valuation.

According to Football Insider, the Eagles will demand a fee of £25m for Mateta, roughly the same fee that AC Milan were prepared to pay in January before the striker’s move collapsed due to medical complications.

It remains to be seen whether Milan or Villa will return with an improved bid, the latter have now agreed a £65m deal to sign Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea after agreeing to sell Ollie Watkins to Al-Hilal.

Mateta, who started in Palace’s 2-0 Premier League defeat to Everton last weekend, has scored 62 goals in 203 appearances for the club across all competitions and won the Conference League last season.

Diouf set for Brentford medical ahead of £40m transfer

Staying in the Premier League, Brentford have agreed a deal to sign left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf from West Ham United, according to multiple reports.

The 21-year-old only joined West Ham last summer for around £19m, but he is ready to make a swift return to the Premier League following the Hammers’ relegation to the Championship.

According to Sky Sports News, Brentford have agreed a fee worth an initial £35m plus £5m in add-ons to sign Diouf.

The Senegal international is said to have been given permission to undergo a medical and is expected to complete his move across London before the September 1 deadline.

Diouf played 32 times for West Ham in the top flight last season, registering five assists, while he also featured in the Hammers’ Championship opener at Burnley (2-2 draw) before missing the club’s next two fixtures.

He is set to become Brentford's fifth summer signing of the summer after the arrivals of striker Callum Wilson, centre-back Jannik Schuster, winger Jaidon Anthony and midfielder Mamadou Sangare.

Southampton exploring Ward-Prowse return

There could be another departure at West Ham, as Championship side Southampton are reportedly exploring a potential return for midfielder James Ward-Prowse.

The 31-year-old is facing an uncertain future at the London Stadium and was absent from the Hammers’ squad for their 4-1 EFL Cup second-round defeat to the Saints on Tuesday.

Sky Sports News claims that Southampton are hopeful that a deal can be finalised for Ward-Prowse, but the finances and wages involved would be key to the club securing his return.

Ward-Prowse came through Southampton's academy before making 410 first-team appearances across a 12-year period between 2011 and 2023.

The set-piece specialist then completed a £30m switch to West Ham following the Saints’ relegation from the Premier League, but he has struggled to nail down a regular starting spot in East London.

Ward-Prowse has played 75 times in total for the Hammers, while he has also experienced loan spells at Nottingham Forest and Burnley, representing the latter 14 times during the second half of last season.