Reliable reports from France suggest that Tottenham Hotspur forward Mathys Tel is fed up with his lack of playing time. He has been struggling for minutes in North London and is ready to hear out other clubs this month. The 20-year-old joined Spurs with a massive reputation as a top European prospect, but he is currently stuck on the sidelines of Thomas Frank’s struggling team.
Mathys Tel Eyes Tottenham Hotspur Exit as World Cup Ambitions Drive January Decision
According to RMC Sport’s Fabrice Hawkins, the French under-21 international has made up his mind. He needs to play every week if he wants to save his season and break into France’s senior squad.
The news is a gut punch for the Spurs hierarchy. The club expected the former Bayern Munich star to become a key part of their front line. Instead, Tel has scored just six goals in 38 games so far. Those numbers speak more to his lack of a consistent run in the team than a lack of talent.
Even after scoring the opener in the recent 3-2 loss to Bournemouth, Tel remains a backup in a system that has Spurs sitting in 14th place. Thomas Frank usually looks elsewhere when picking his team, leaving the youngster with nothing but 10-minute cameos. With the January window now open, Tel’s camp feels a move is the only way he will get the game time he is looking for.
A Tactical Misfit in a Crumbling Season
Tel’s issues at Tottenham mostly come down to a bad tactical fit. His direct, instinctive way of playing just doesn’t mesh with the strict rules Thomas Frank sets for his players. The Danish manager likes strikers who can hold the ball up or press non-stop. These are the jobs that stop Tel from doing what he does best: drifting wide and cutting inside.
The Frenchman has the pace and finishing to give Premier League defenders nightmares, but Frank’s tactics often leave him stranded. He ends up doing defensive work that drains his energy for attacking. The Bournemouth game showed the problem perfectly.
Tel looked dangerous whenever he got forward, but Frank hooked him anyway to try to sit on a lead. That lead eventually slipped away. It’s clear the manager doesn’t fully trust the player, and it looks like Tel feels the same way about him.
The outlook for this partnership is grim. If Tottenham stop him from leaving, they will be stuck with an unhappy player whose market value will keep dropping. On the other hand, letting Tel go could look terrible if he starts scoring for someone else while Spurs continue to struggle.
For Tel, leaving is a must. With the World Cup coming up, he can’t spend another six months watching from the bench. Spurs would be smart to agree to a loan, either to another Premier League side or a big club in Europe, so Tel can find his spark again.
That would keep his long-term value high while cooling things down in the locker room. If Frank stays, a clean break might be the only way to end a move that started with so much hope but led to so little.