Mathys Tel has just suffered a major setback at Tottenham Hotspur, leading to speculation over what kind of role he will play at the club this season.
Mathys Tel arrived at Tottenham Hotspur to play as a striker, but he does lack the physical presence his fellow forwards possess. Thomas Frank has opted to play Richarlison up front, with Dominic Solanke as his backup. The addition of Randal Kolo Muani this summer means Tel is now the club’s fourth choice striker, but Spurs do have a shortage on the left wing.
With the departures of Manor Solomon and Bryan Gil, Tel is the only official left winger at Tottenham. However, he is yet to start a match this season as Brennan Johnson has been shifted over from the right. On top of this, Wilson Odobert has been subbed on before Tel in every Premier League match this season.
To make things worse, Tel has now been left out of Tottenham’s Champions League squad. The France u21s international might have expected to get some minutes in the competition, considering Spurs have fixtures against teams including Bodo/Glimt, Copenhagen and Slavia Prague.
Does Mathys Tel have a future at Tottenham?
Making Tel a permanent signing is already starting to look like a questionable decision. However, Djed Spence found himself in a similar position last season. He was left out of Tottenham’s Europa League squad, despite a shortage in his position. Despite this, Spence is now in the first-team and playing his best football.
Tel is still only 20, which is much younger than Spence was, so he has time to develop into a first-team player. Harry Kane was still finding his feet at that age and blooming early does not guarantee long-term success. Just look at Dele, a player who recently became a free agent after another failed move.
Although Tel is struggling to establish himself at Tottenham, he should have another 15 or more years left of his playing career. He has only ever started 11 Premier League matches, so maybe he just needs a bit more time.
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Tel might benefit from a loan move away from Spurs
Tel could still have a long term future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but there is no point holding onto him if he is not going to be given a proper chance. If this continues, offering Tel a January loan move could be beneficial to both the player and his club.
Tel can cover two positions and yet he is not close to being first-choice in either of them. Spurs were even looking to sign another left winger in the summer and were heavily linked with Savinho.
There are plenty of reasons to believe Tel could still make it at Tottenham, but he may have to be patient and play the long game. The most important thing is that he works on improving his game and replicating the form which earned him a move to North London in the first place.