Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel is one to watch this January transfer window as Manchester United and Tottenham have both been closely linked with the Frenchman, but will he end up moving?
Negotiations were underway between United and Bayern over a transfer, per Sky Germany, though it was unclear how close the clubs were to reaching an agreement until talks broke down, according to L’Equipe. The Red Devils reportedly submitted a loan offer, though Bayern turned that down because they reportedly prefer a loan with an option to buy or a permanent deal.
The 19-year-old Tel has been one of the most in-demand players during the winter transfer window, receiving interest from several English clubs since the window opened on Jan. 1. Tel reportedly turned down a move to Tottenham Hotspur in the last few days after the club struck a deal with Bayern, per The Athletic, while Chelsea and Arsenal have also looked into signing the teenager, per reports. The Gunners are reportedly still in the mix to sign Tel but it’s unclear how likely that move is.
Tel joined Bayern ahead of the 2022-23 season after spending the early years of his career in his native France with Rennes. Though he has scored 16 goals in 83 games for Bayern since moving to Germany, he has not really been able to make his way into the first team. He has just one assist for Bayern this season, which came in a 5-0 win over Hoffenheim last month.
What he would mean to United
It would have been an ambitious way to close out the team’s first transfer window since hiring manager Ruben Amorim in the fall. It remains to be seen if negotiations continue and if Man United meet Bayern’s demands. Amorim may be one of Europe’s rising managerial talents but it has been clear that United’s current roster was not built with his tactical preferences in mind, though the task of tailoring the roster to the manager’s preferences is officially underway.
Tel would help address their issues in attack since their inability to score has played a big part in their current 13th-place standing in the Premier League. Though Amad Diallo leads the pack with six league goals this season, United as a whole have just 28 goals in 24 league games this season and are only better than four teams in that category. At best, they are a midtable attacking team – they rank 11th for expected goals, though they are underperforming their tally of 34.38 so far this season.
The teenage forward felt just as much a pick for the future as the present, a bit like Rasmus Hojlund did when he joined in the summer of 2023 when Amorim’s predecessor Erik Ten Hag was still in charge. Tel is a versatile player – he’s comfortable on the wing and in central positions and is able to play with both feet. He may benefit from more playing time, too – he has 10 shots in 253 Bundesliga minutes this season, generating 0.74 expected goals in the process.
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