Man Utd links justified as ‘dangerous’ French striker scores hat-trick to send brutal Benjamin Sesko message

Just days after claims that Manchester United are back in for Jean-Philippe Mateta, the Crystal Palace striker scored a hat-trick against Bournemouth in the Premier League, with Red Devils manager Ruben Amorim also made to look foolish by Antony as the Brazilian winger starred for Real Betis in LaLiga.

Man Utd were on the hunt for a top-class striker in the summer transfer window and ultimately signed Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig. While it must be noted that Sesko is only 22, it cannot be ignored that the Slovenia international striker has found the back of the net just twice in eight matches in all competitions for Ruben Amorim’s side so far this season.

Jean-Philippe Mateta was a striker that Man Utd looked at signing in the summer of 2025 before they settled on Sesko, and there have been rumours in the Spanish media this week that the Red Devils are back in for him.

On October 14, a report claimed that Man Utd have ‘put Mateta on their offensive radar’, but TEAMtalk’s transfer correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, has revealed that the France international is unlikely to move to Old Trafford anytime soon.

Mateta is 28 now, and Man Utd are unlikely to invest a lot of money in him after signing Sesko only this summer.

The France international striker responded to renewed links with Man Utd by scoring a sensational hat-trick against Bournemouth at Selhurst Park in the Premier League on Saturday.

Mateta found the back of the net in the 64th minute and then again five minutes later, before completing his hat-trick in the seventh minute of injury time.

However, the striker had a great chance to win the match for Palace in the 99th minute.

Nevertheless, Palace manager Oliver Glasner was hugely impressed with Mateta and described him as “dangerous” on BBC Sport after the match.

Mateta has scored seven goals in 13 matches in all competitions for Palace so far this season.

The striker also scored his first goal for France in a 2-2 draw with Iceland in a 2026 World Cup qualifier on Monday.

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Former Man Utd winger Antony stars for Real Betis

Mateta could have added more to his tally, with Glasner revealing that the France international striker apologised to him.

News Shopper quotes Glasner as saying about Mateta: “He apologised. I told him there’s no need to apologise as you can’t take every single chance.

“He could have scored five or six because he had two big chances in the first half, but we don’t expect him to take every chance.

“He scored three, he has to be proud. It’s a hat-trick in the Premier League, which is not easy, but he did it and deserved it.

“When we see the goals, this is what we did better in the second half. I thought we played well in two-thirds of the pitch in the first half.

“We broke the press quite well, the sixes worked quite hard, but we were not direct and ruthless enough.

“We didn’t have the intensity to run in the box, we didn’t get the balls and the crosses were a little half. We needed more aggressiveness in their box.

“That’s exactly how the goals happened. JP had this feeling, which you hope your number nine has.

“He scored a very similar goal for France on the far post, he has this feeling.

“I’m usually very critical, but the players deserve huge credit for everything except our defending the third goal.”

A bittersweet hat-trick for Jean-Philippe Mateta… pic.twitter.com/WCUITzPuHG

— Premier League (@premierleague) October 18, 2025

It was not just Mateta who was proving Man Utd wrong on Saturday, with Antony also starring for Real Betis.

Antony spent the second half of last season on loan at Betis from Man Utd, with Red Devils manager Ruben Amorim not considering the Brazilian winger to be good for his team.

The 25-year-old’s loan deal was made permanent in the summer of 2025, and he has continued to excel for Betis.

On Saturday, Betis came from two goals down to play out a 2-2 draw with Villarreal away from home in LaLiga, with Antony scoring both of them for the visiting team.

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Meanwhile, an Italian manager who wants to replace Ruben Amorim at Man Utd has been in contact with Nottingham Forest over replacing Ange Postecoglou at the City Ground.

After successfully signing Antony, Real Betis are now on the hunt for another struggling Man Utd forward.

And finally, Man Utd have learned the chances of signing Ivan Toney on a loan deal in the January transfer window.

Think you know Benjamin Sesko? Then try this quiz!