Mateta claims final year of Palace deal is invalid

Jean-Philippe Mateta is arguing the remainder of his Crystal Palace contract is invalid and has taken his case to Fifa.

Multiple sources have told BBC Sport the France international has launched an official challenge over the validity of the final 10 months on his Selhurst Park deal, which expires in June 2027.

Mateta - who started Palace's Premier League opener at Everton on Saturday - signed for the club in 2021 from Mainz 05, initially on an 18-month loan.

The striker signed a four-and-half year contract when joining permanently in January 2022, in a deal that also included the option of a 12-month extension.

Palace activated that option in 2024, meaning Mateta's current deal is due to expire at the end of the season.

But the 29-year-old is claiming the final year of his contract - the optional extra year - should be void and it is understood Mateta's case was heard by an independent tribunal under the Premier League's rules.

While there has been no official confirmation of the outcome, it understood Mateta's contract remained binding.

He has since taken his argument to world football governing body Fifa, who ruled earlier this week that overruling the contract was not within its jurisdiction.