HLTCO host Dan Cook has claimed that Brighton may be a more "attractive proposition" for Mateo Retegui amid transfer links to Crystal Palace.

What's the latest on Mateo Retegui and Crystal Palace?

The Italian striker made headlines last week as he scored on his national team debut against England and then followed this up with another effort against Malta.

The 23-year-old was actually born in Argentina – and is currently on loan at Tigres from Boca Juniors – but qualifies to play for Italy thanks to his grandfather.

After the most recent game, his national team manager Roberto Mancini was full of praise but warned that he still needed to do more to prove himself as a top player.

He told the press: "He unlocked the match, he was essential today. But I repeat: he needs time, he still needs to learn more about European football."

According to Corriere dello Sport (via FC Inter News), Retegui could be set for a move to a big team in Europe this summer with Inter Milan named as a possible option.

Beyond the Serie A team, Palace and Brighton were also linked and while speaking on the HLTCO podcast, Cook explained why it might be a hard deal to pull off for the Eagles.

He said (8:12): “I hate to say this in a Crystal Palace podcast, but I'm not sure we are necessarily anything like as an attractive proposition at the moment as Brighton and Hove Albion.

"They are upwardly mobile, there is every chance they will get into Europe by the end of this season.

"And you look at our current plight, you know, hopefully Roy Hodgson can steady the ship and keep us afloat in the Premier League.

"But without a permanent manager, and without a guarantee of even the division that we're going to be playing in next season, you do wonder whether or not he may well plump for the seagulls."

Why would Mateo Retegui want to join Brighton?

It's certainly true that Palace are struggling to maintain their status as a Premier League side sitting just three points above the bottom three with only ten games to keep themselves up.

All the while, bitter rivals Brighton have lofty ambitions as they look to bright European football to the Amex next season, currently seventh in the league, level on points with Liverpool in sixth (with a game in hand too).

With that in mind, it's not hard to see why Retegui – who has six goals in eight league games with Tigre this term – may feel as though Brighton is the more appealing destination should he seek out a move to England in the summer.