Mathys Tel Tottenham transfer and the 'extraordinary things' new signing can do after late U-turn
Mathys Tel is on the verge of becoming a Tottenham Hotspur player. Appearing to have missed out on the Bayern Munich ace after last week agreeing a £50million deal with the German club only for the attacker to turn down the move, Tel has now made a U-turn and is set to sign on the dotted line in north London.
football.london understands the structure of the deal is still to be finalised, although reports in Germany are suggesting that Bayern are currently expecting it to be a straight loan. Regardless of what the final agreement is between both clubs, Ange Postecoglou is set to receive a much-needed attacking boost for the second half of the season.
Tottenham have been crying out for a versatile forward to bolster their options through the middle and out wide, with Tel capable of operating off the right and left flank and also as a striker. So what exactly will Tottenham be getting in Tel? football.london takes a look below on what his Bayern Munich teammates and others have said about the Frenchman.
READ MORE: Mathys Tel set to complete Tottenham transfer deadline day move as talks with Bayern continue
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Harry Kane on Tel
"He's started the season really well. I like the way he trains. He's always pushing himself and is fully committed," said Kane in September 2023. "Every time he came in he made a difference and is very confident. We’ll need all players."
Former Bayern head coach Thomas Tuchel on Tel
"Mathys has a high impact off the bench. He is a weapon for us at the moment, we know what he can give us. He will also start games this season. He is currently showing that he can assist and score goals," outlined Tuchel.
"We're taking it step by step with him. He's on the right track. We're happy that he’s here and he's happy about it too."
Sven Ulreich on Tel
"Mathys is a fine guy, is inquisitive, willing to learn, down-to-earth and works a lot on himself," explained the goalkeeper.
"He is a role model for all the young players who come here. He comes up and does his job. We've had other examples that didn't handle it that way."
France and Premier League legend Thierry Henry on Tel
"He does extraordinary things. When he enters a match, you see it," revealed Henry. "Already, he is scoring goals. When he comes on, he always faces forward. And even if he plays only one minute, he creates two chances.
"This is not to be overlooked. Of course, he still has things to work on, playing with his back to goal, with his control. But he already has what you sometimes have to say to an attacker; 'You have to press, you have to run behind the defence, you have to be tough.'
"He already does all that, and scores goals. It’s still quite impressive, especially considering his minutes."
Former Bayern head coach Julian Nagelsmann on Tel
"He’s a very young, talented player who can play different positions. He’s very quick, strong with his body," said Nagelsmann.
"He’s good at defending the ball with his back towards the opponent’s goal. I have the vision that he could score 40 goals [in a season like Robert Lewandowski] one day in the future."
Thomas Muller on Tel
"You can see that he wants to score goals - that's a great quality," admitted Muller. "Thinking back to when Arjen Robben was playing, we used to think he should have been looking for the pass, but he was so focused on scoring and he scored a lot.
"Mathys should keep doing his thing: firing shots in on goal. He's a superb finisher."
Kingsley Coman on Tel
"Tel has made fantastic progress since he joined the club. We can see the difference in training, that he is really progressing every day and gaining maturity. He’s done great things for us this season and won us so many points with little game time," said the attacker.
"But beyond the goals, the dynamic he has when he comes in, his mentality to work every day without ever complaining, to do everything for the team, it’s something that I admire and appreciate. We don’t often see that in young players. If he continues this way, I think he will reach the top."
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