Man Utd learn transfer fee needed to sign Crystal Palace's Mateta

Manchester United have been told it will cost them £40million to sign Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta.

As first revealed in France, the Reds have already opened talks about taking Mateta to Old Trafford in the summer in a bid to add goals to Ruben Amorim's misfiring side. But Palace will demand full value for the 27-year-old Frenchman.

And United's precarious financial position means they will have to generate cash from player sales before adding significantly to Amorim's squad.

United's £72million Danish striker Rasmus Hojlund has scored just two Premier League goals this season and is losing the faith of his manager.

Mateta, who was last week rushed to hospital with a nasty head injury that required 25 stitches after a sickening challenge by Millwall keeper Liam Roberts, has scored 15 goals in all competitions for the Eagles, with 12 coming in the Premier League.

Palace hope he will be back for the FA Cup quarter-final Fulham at the end of the month.

Amorim has demanded a striker who carries goal threat but also has the intelligence and physical presence to lead his attack.

The Portuguese's dream signing would be his former Sporting Lisbon goal machine Viktor Gyokeres, but the Swedish international's £80million release clause is too rich for a club with debts in excess of £1billion.

He has attempted to stick with both Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee amid injury issues in recent weeks, but neither has shown the kind of form required to prove that they can be the main man and score on a regular enough basis in the future.

Palace will be loath to lose Mateta, who having struggled during Roy Hodgson's reign has been a major player under Oliver Glasner since he arrived in south London.