In a lovely, utopian world, footballers would be treated as human beings – with the same needs and desires as the rest of us. Meanwhile, here on Planet Earth, the truth is that a professional footballer is often considered – by their club, their coaches and even their fans – as an asset, who can appreciate or depreciate in value in line with their performances and the perceived brightness of their future.
That means that they need to be acquired at a time when they are able to deliver their best, and sold just as their value has peaked. For Crystal Palace, the time to sell Jean-Philippe Mateta came in the January 2025 transfer window. The Frenchman, once a goalscoring machine for the Eagles, had expressed his desire to leave the club, so Palace – sensing the time was nigh to cash in on a 28-year-old asset with a history of knee trouble.
A buyer was sought – and found – in the form of Nottingham Forest, but it was another suitor, the iconic AC Milan, that most captured Mateta’s imagination. And so a fee of around £30 million was agreed, with Mateta jetting off to Milan on transfer deadline day to complete the formalities of a medical. Which is where things went badly wrong for the Frenchman…
A Pain in the Neck (and Knee)
“The most important thing is the players welfare.”
Oliver Glasner reveals he wasn’t surprised that Jean-Philippe Mateta’s move to AC Milan could not be completed ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/9FrXiyXhBC
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) February 6, 2026
After being put through his paces by the AC Milan medical team, the Italian club decided not to press ahead with the transfer. Mateta had failed his medical examination, with Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner previously confirming that the striker has been nursing an ongoing knee injury for many months.
Reports suggest that the Eagles were up front with Milan about Mateta’s issues, with the Italians seemingly willing to take a punt that he would pass his medical. But he did not, with Mateta now reportedly considering knee surgery in a bid to solve the problem – no doubt with a view to moving on during the summer transfer window, instead.
Mateta has previously ruptured a meniscus; that injury required surgery back in 2019 and kept him out of football for six months. All of which begs many questions. If AC Milan knew Mateta was suffering from knee problems, why did they green light the transfer in the first place? And if they were so keen to sign the striker, why not complete the deal and get him in for surgery right away? The dreaded football medical strikes again…
What Is a Football Medical?
Remember, football clubs consider their players – and prospective players – to be an asset, whose value must be continuously assessed. One way to determine if a new signing’s value will hold is through a comprehensive medical, which is performed before the final contracts are signed.
What Happens in a Football Medical?
The player will be stress tested to confirm that they are fit, healthy and not battling any injuries – while potentially spotting issues that may unfold later down the lines.
A football medical can last for hours, with top-to-toe examinations carried out. Chiefly, a clubs’ medical staff will test out a player’s musculoskeletal system, their neurology, their cardiovascular health and their blood oxygen levels to determine the likelihood of injury and their current fitness levels.
Height, weight, blood pressure, heart rate, urine… these are just some of the things that are tested, with players often asked to run on a treadmill or perform HIIT style exercises for medical examiners to collate their results.
What Does It Mean to Fail a Medical?
When you buy a house, you get a survey done – if the survey comes back with adverse findings, it’s up to you whether you go ahead with the purchase or not.
A football medical is similar in nature. A player may pass their examination with flying colours, or it may flag up certain issues – it’s then up to the club, like the homebuyer, to decide whether the problems detected are severe enough for the transfer deal to be scrapped.
A football medical isn’t like a driving test, where there is a black-and-white result of pass or fail. Many medicals will have come back with notes, so players can ‘fail’ their medical but still complete a transfer. But, as was the case with Mateta, sometimes the adverse findings are such that the buying club will be forced to jettison their plans.
Football Transfers That Have Been Scrapped Due to a Failed Medical
Nabil Fekir
Back in 2018, Nabil Fekir had the world at his feet. Fresh from a stint in France’s World Cup squad, which Les Bleus won, Fekir’s status as one of the most exciting new talents in French football saw him secure a £53 million move to Liverpool. Well, that was the plan, anyway…
Fekir even conducted a press conference as a Liverpool player, but the rug was about to be pulled as the results of his medical revealed concerns over an old knee injury. The Reds backed out of the deal, and Fekir eventually left Lyon to play for Real Betis instead… his career petering out without a move to one of Europe’s giants, as details of his failed medical emerged.
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s move to Manchester United in 2000 was scrapped due to concerns over his knee – a year later, the Dutchman was re-examined by United’s medical team and the transfer from PSV completed.
Loic Remy
Chelsea don’t mind signing players that have failed a medical elsewhere. Loic Remy’s switch from Newcastle to Liverpool was halted when his exam returned adverse findings – the Blues signed him anyway.
Nicolas Jackson
And a similar scenario happened more recently with Nicolas Jackson, who was poised to swap Villarreal for Bournemouth in January 2023. The striker ‘failed’ his medical with the Cherries, but six months later was signing on the dotted line with Chelsea.
Gabriel Milito
And in a true case of footballing what-might-have-been, Gabriel Milito was due to join Real Madrid in the summer of 2003 – until a dubious knee exam, as part of his medical, put the Galacticos off. By 2007, Milito was joining Real’s detested rivals Barcelona, winning two La Liga titles and the Champions League, amongst other things.
