In one of his final acts as chairman, Daniel Levy signed Mathys Tel in a cut-price £30 million deal for Tottenham, but it’s been far from plain sailing for the Frenchman thus far.
Initially, Spurs agreed a £45 million buy-option in the January loan deal which saw him join from Bayern Munich. However, Levy managed to re-negotiate a lesser fee to make Tel the Lilywhites’ first signing of the summer bar Kevin Danso.
The arrival of Bayern’s former prodigy brought plenty of excitement with it, especially after Julian Nagelsmann once tipped the 20-year-old to bag 40 goals a season one day.
Whilst Tel garnered a fearsome reputation as a hot commodity during his time in Bavaria, it’s been a mixed start to life in north London.
He grabbed back-to-back Premier League goals against Southampton and Wolves in April last season, and an assist against both West Ham and Brighton, but is yet to get off the mark since Thomas Frank took charge.
Tel also missed a penalty in the UEFA Super Cup shoot-out against PSG, with Frank ultimately sacrificing the forward for Europe by omitting him from Spurs’ 22-man Champions League squad alongside the likes of Yves Bissouma, Kota Takai, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski.
Appearances
24
Goals
3
Assists
2
Bookings
3
Minutes played
1,366
via Transfermarkt
He therefore won’t be eligible to make a single Champions League appearance until after the league phase, if they even get that far, with pundit John Wenham suggesting that the north Londoners may be regretting the type of deal they’ve secured for Tel.
Tottenham could be regretting Mathys Tel deal as "frustrating" claim made
Speaking to Tottenham News, Wenham hints that Tottenham will be looking back on the permanent deal for Tel with hindsight, asking themselves whether they should’ve just gone for another loan.
Of course, there is still time for him to come good, and that is far more likely than not.
Why Mathys Tel could prove people wrong at Tottenham
Tel is still raw, but Frank has been very impressed by the attacker since his Champions League snub, not least for a hard-working display against West Ham.
The France Under-21 starlet’s main strengths lie in his athleticism and versatility. Comfortable through the middle or out wide, he gives Frank multiple options in attack. His pace allows him to stretch defences, while his ability to play with his back to goal offers a different profile to Spurs’ other forwards. That adaptability will be key in a side competing across several competitions this season.
His finishing, movement and composure are still maturing, but those are qualities that can sharpen with experience.