TEAMtalk

Tottenham reportedly have ‘priority’ to land Harry Kane if he looks to leave Bayern Munich as a result of a clause included when he left the north London club in 2023.

A bomb was dropped on February 5 that Bayern Munich striker Kane can return to England for a heavily-discounted sum soon. In both January 2025 and 2026, he’d have been able to activate a clause to leave in the summer which follows.

For the coming summer, with the clause not activated, Kane will not be on the move, but if in a year’s time he decided it’s time to go back home, he’ll cost just £54million (€64.6m/$67m).

It’s likely to pique the interest of a number of clubs, but Kane’s former side Tottenham, for whom he bagged 280 goals in 435 games, are at the head of the queue.

Indeed a Telegraph report has revealed how when selling the striker to Bayern in 2023, Spurs included a clause which gives them priority over the re-signing of the superstar.

There is no fixed fee for Tottenham to get a cheaper deal than any rivals would, but they get the first option on him, for the aforementioned price of £54million.

Would Kane still fit at Tottenham?

Given Daniel Levy’s hard negotiation style, it’s not a surprise that he protected the sale of Tottenham’s best player with the knowledge that he could get him back down the line.

It’s a good piece of business, but if Ange Postecoglou is still at the helm when Kane decides to return – which would be more than a year away – it could be questioned whether the striker would still fit the club’s style.

The Australian boss demands aggressive pressing, and Kane is often seen dropping back to try to influence the game rather than always hassling defenders for the ball.

With that said, some Tottenham fans would like to see the striker drop into the No.10 role, something which would clearly fit his style of play, with great distribution skills highlighted by the fact he has over 100 career assists to his name.

Like Wayne Rooney, it seems the natural progression for Kane as he gets older is to move from a deadly striker to a quality provider as his main asset, and that could be how his Tottenham return takes shape.

The current building with youth could potentially put paid to a deal, but fans would surely love to see one of their greatest ever assets back, partially for nostalgia, and especially if they see him break Alan Shearer’s Premier League goals record as a Spurs player.

Tottenham round-up: Leroy Sane eyed

Tottenham are reported to already be in talks to land Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sane in the summer.

And despite Johnny Cardoso penning a new Real Betis contract, Spurs are still primed to land him as a result of a priority agreement.

Meanwhile, TEAMtalk is aware that Chelsea defender Axel Disasi never had any intention of joining Tottenham, with his move to Aston Villa showing him keep his word after agreeing to join them prior to his deadline day move.

He would have stayed at Stamford Bridge and fought for his place rather than move across London to play for Spurs.

Tottenham are planning to bring Leroy Sane back to the Premier League, with a report claiming that Spurs are already in talks as chairman Daniel Levy plans a smart deal with Bayern Munich’s stance on keeping the winger also being revealed.

Sane has been on the books of Bayern since 2020 when he joined from Manchester City. Described as “an incredible player” by Man City manager Pep Guardiola, the winger has won the Bundesliga title thrice with the Bavarian giants so far and has been an important player for the German club over the years.

The 29-year-old winger, who won the Premier League twice, the FA Cup once and the EFL Cup on three occasions during his time at Man City, is out of contract at Bayern at the end of the season.

According to Fichajes, Tottenham chairman Levy is trying to take advantage of this situation and is looking to bring the winger to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as a free agent at the end of the season.

Spurs have emerged as one of the main interested parties in a deal for Sane and are already in talks with the Germany international over a move in the summer of 2025.

Tottenham are looking to strengthen their attack for next season, and signing a player of Sane’s quality and calibre would be a “real coup” for the north London club, according to the report.

Sane knows the Premier League inside out, and having been a huge success at Man City, Tottenham believe that he would make the current team better.

The Germany international has scored seven goals and given two assists in 26 matches in all competitions so far this season, as Bayern sit six at the top of the Bundesliga table.

Bayern Munich’s stance on Leroy Sane

Tottenham’s quest to sign Sane as a free agent in the summer of 2025 could be spoilt by Bayern’s desire to keep the winger.

Fichajes has reported that Bayern want Sane to put pen to paper on a new contract and are concerned that they have not been able to convince him to extend his stay at the Allianz Arena.

The Bavarian giants are also concerned that Sane could leave as a free agent at the end of the season, which would be bad from a business perspective.

Bayern paid Man City £54.8m in transfer fees for Sane when they signed him in the summer of 2020.

Latest Tottenham news: Cardoso hopes, Tel revelation

Sane is not the only player that Tottenham are keen on signing in the summer of 2025.

Reports in Spain have claimed that Tottenham are in pole position for Johnny Cardoso.

Although Cardoso has signed a new contract with his club Real Betis, Spurs are still insistent on bringing the 20-year-old USA international midfielder to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham saw off competition from Premier League rivals Arsenal and Manchester United for the signing Mathys Tel in the winter transfer window.

Tel joined Tottenham on loan from Bayern after initially rejecting a move to the north London club.

The young striker has revealed that Wilson Odobert convinced him to move to Spurs.

Tel said: “He told me ‘come, you have to come here. Wilson, he’s my friend, I’ve played with him with the French team, and he said, ‘come, this is a great team, you will see’.

“We are good friends. I come from Paris, him too, and we have a good relationship.”

Meanwhile, Tottenham have been urged to sign Crystal Palace central defender Marc Guehi.

Former Spurs manager Tim Sherwood believes that the 24-year-old England international centre-back would be a good signing for north London club.

Tottenham have officially confirmed the signing of a striker who has set a new transfer record, while his arrival date and expected transfer fee have both been revealed.

Tottenham completed arguably the most eye-catching deal of the winter window when landing Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich. However, the club have officially announced an out-of-window signing that has broken a transfer record.

Via their official website, Spurs confirmed the capture of highly-rated Republic of Ireland striker, Mason Melia.

The 17-year-old has sealed a permanent switch to north London, though his arrival will be delayed until January of 2026. Melia will be 18 years of age at that time and thus eligible to complete the move.

A club statement read: “We are delighted to announce that we have reached agreement with League of Ireland side St Patrick’s Athletic for the transfer of Mason Melia.

“The 17-year-old forward has agreed a deal that will run until 2031 and will join us in January, 2026.”

And according to two separate sources, the striker’s deal will smash the record for the League of Ireland’s most expensive ever sale.

Taking to X, BBC reporter, Nizaar Kinsella, wrote: “Tottenham’s deal for striker Mason Melia, 17, is expected to be a record transfer out of the League of Ireland – worth in excess of £1million.”

Providing further insight into the finances, the Irish Mirror claimed the initial fee is worth €1.9m / £1.58m. However, there is scope for the deal to ultimately rise to around €4m / £3.33m pending add-ons.

Per the report, those add-ons relate to first-team appearance targets at Spurs along with Melia winning a senior Ireland cap.

Despite his age, Melia has already featured – and scored – for Ireland’s Under-19s. He was subsequently called up to the country’s Under-21s.

Tottenham gush at transfer coup

Tottenham certainly sounded pleased with their coup and with good reason given Melia’s exploits in his home country.

The club’s statement continued: “He set countless records during his first year in senior football – he became St Pats’ youngest-ever player and goalscorer when he netted on his debut against Wexford in the Leinster Senior Cup during January of that year, before becoming the League of Ireland Premier Division’s youngest scorer after scoring against UCD six months later.

“In November, 2023, just days after signing his first professional contract, he became the youngest player ever to play in an FAI Cup final when he helped his side defeat Bohemians to lift the trophy.

“A regular in St Pats’ UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying campaign last year, Mason recently became the youngest player ever to be named PFAI Young Player of the Year.

“He has made 54 senior appearances for St Pats in all competitions to date, scoring 10 goals.

“On the international stage, Mason has been a regular in the youth age groups for the Republic of Ireland, representing them at the 2023 European Under-17 Championship finals. He earned his first call-up to the Republic of Ireland Under-21s squad in October, 2024.”

Latest Tottenham news – Mathys Tel…

In other news, and very encouragingly for Tottenham, a German source has claimed the only ‘problem’ Mathys Tel had at Bayern Munich was an inability to displace Harry Kane.

“I think it’s a very good move for all parties,” began Sky Germany’s Uli Koehler.

“The problem for Mathys was that when he came here (to Bayern) a couple of years ago he was so talented, he got time to play, even though he wasn’t always a starter, and the fans were excited about his game, he scored a lot of goals.

“But then in the last half year it didn’t work out that well anymore, so the big problem now is he needs time where he can play. Spurs give that time.

“So I think it’s a very, very good move for everybody despite the [Bayern] fans… they feel sad that he didn’t make it here.

“But I think it’s a lot of money for Bayern Munich for a player who was not a starter at all. I think for both sides it’s a perfect deal.”

Tottenham paid a €10m/£8.3m loan fee to sign Tel for six months, with the terms also containing a €60m option to buy. However, Tel must approve the move before Spurs can activate their option.

Spurs are covering the entirety of Tel’s salary during the initial loan.

Tottenham Hotspur reportedly remain in pole position to land midfielder Johnny Cardoso this summer despite a surprising development at his current club Real Betis.

Last summer, Spurs secured a special clause as part of an agreement with Real Betis that saw Giovani Lo Celso return to Los Verdiblancos. That clause was for Cardoso, who has been a standout performer for the LaLiga side since he arrived from Internacional during the 2024 winter transfer window.

The 23-year-old USA international has become a pivotal player for Betis since his arrival, so the clause agreed with Tottenham, which is worth €25m (£21m / $26m), would almost certainly have been inserted begrudgingly – but inserted it was.

A number of other clubs are known to take an interest in Cardoso since then, although a move to north London does still appear to be the most likely outcome if the player does move from Betis.

But, for now, Betis have been making arrangements for Cardoso to stay, and on Tuesday they announced that he had agreed a new five-year contract at the club, which keeps him tied down until the end of the 2029/30 season.

A club statement read: “Real Betis Balompie and Johnny Cardoso have reached an agreement for the extension of the Brazilian midfielder’s contract for one more season. In this way, the American international is linked to the Green and White Club until 2030.”

However, Mundo Deportivo states that Cardoso’s new contract does little to affect his possible departure in the summer, with Tottenham’s clause remaining active.

It’s worth pointing out though that Spurs’ clause is only active for a few weeks during the summer transfer window.

Failure to trigger that clause then would allow Betis to demand as much as they want for the USMNT star, also putting them in a strong position to negotiate with other clubs.

It would certainly be a huge blow for Betis to lose Cardoso at the end of the current campaign, especially after tying him down a new contract.

The defensive midfielder has scored once and added an assist in 25 appearances for Betis in all competitions this season, with the majority of those games playing as a shield in from the back four.

Tottenham expected to trigger Cardoso deal this summer

For their part, it’s expected that Spurs will look to trigger that bargain deal for Cardoso, given his outstanding form in LaLiga and the Europa Conference League this term.

There is a strong possibility that the club will look to offload Yves Bissouma this summer as the former Brighton man continues to struggle to hit the same heights he reached down on the south coast.

The Mali international has been in and out of Ange Postecoglou’s side, while there is every chance that Archie Gray will finally be given the chance to play in his preferred position again once Tottenham’s defensive starters are fully fit again.

Rodrigo Bentancur is another player who has struggled to replicate the same form he was showing before his ACL injury in 2023 and still looks a yard short of pace and lacking a bit of bite to his game.

Talented youngsters Pape Sarr and Lucas Bergvall continue to impress though, so the future for the position is bright – but Cardoso would add some steel in Postecoglou’s engine room, if the Australian is still around next season given Tottenham’s Premier League struggles this term.

Mathys Tel insists Tottenham was ‘the best option’ for him after joining the Premier League club on loan from Bayern Munich, as he also revealed which Spurs star convinced him to move to north London.

The 19-year-old French attacker completed a deadline-day move to Spurs after informing Bundesliga leaders Bayern of his desire to leave in a search for more game time.

The Bundesliga giants spent more than £20million to sign Tel from French club Rennes in 2022, with the forward featuring heavily in his first two campaigns for Bayern.

However, after struggling for game time under Vincent Kompany this term, it became clear that Bayern were willing to offload the player amid interest from the likes of Tottenham, Manchester United and Arsenal.

Tel actually rejected a switch to the white half of north London last week but after talks broke down with United, the teenager then did a U-turn and agreed a loan move to Tottenham which includes an option to buy for £45million in the summer.

And speaking for the first time about his move to the Premier League, Tel told Tottenham’s official website: “Why I chose Tottenham? It was the best option for me. I’m ready to play, I’m here, I’m ready to grow.

“It was the best option for me and now I’m very happy. I felt the commitment, I spoke with the president, the team manager, the coach and as I said, that was very important for me.”

Tel also discussed the possibility of a move to north London with his ‘good friend’ Wilson Odobert, who signed for Spurs last summer from Burnley.

“He told me ‘come, you have to come here’,” Tel revealed. “Wilson, he’s my friend, I’ve played with him with the French team, and he said, ‘come, this is a great team, you will see’.

“We are good friends. I come from Paris, him too, and we have a good relationship.”

Kane, Dier give Tel move the thumbs up

Tel also spoke to Bayern Munich teammates and former Tottenham stars Harry Kane and Eric Dier before agreeing to join Spurs.

“They said, if you want to work here, you have everything. You can enjoy it,” said Tel, who made just eight league appearances for Bayern this season and will wear the No.11 shirt at Spurs.

“That’s good for me, because it’s a good opportunity to work, to learn every day… that’s what they told me.”

Tel joins a Tottenham team sitting a lowly 14th in the Premier League, although they did secure a much-needed win over Brentford in the Premier League on Sunday.

He is in line to make his debut on Thursday night when Ange Postecoglou’s side face Liverpool in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final, leading the contest 1-0.

Latest Tottenham news: Defensive target ‘better than Romero’ / Tel ‘summer agreement’ in place

Tottenham have been told that they should maintain their pursuit of a top January centre-back target when the summer transfer window comes around, as the heavily linked Premier League star is ‘better’ than Cristian Romero.

Spurs were in the mix to sign one of three new central defenders on deadline day but ended up with none as Axel Disasi ended up at Aston Villa, a bid for Burnley’s Maxime Esteve was turned down and Crystal Palace rebuffed a £70m offer for Marc Guehi.

However, former Tottenham midfielder and manager Tim Sherwood is convinced his old club should continue their pursuit of the Palace man, who he believes is ‘better than Romero’.

Meanwhile, there is an ‘agreement’ between Tottenham and Mathys Tel that gives the player power to veto a summer move to Spurs – even if the club want to activate his option to buy, according to a top source.

Tottenham Hotspur have been told that they should maintain their pursuit of a top January centre-back target when the summer transfer window comes around, as the heavily linked Premier League star is ‘better’ than Cristian Romero.

Spurs ended the winter window by adding defender, Kevin Danso from French outfit Lens over the weekend, after learning that Radu Dragusin’s knee injury is much worse than initially feared.

The Romania international suffered an ACL issue in the Europa League win over Elfsborg last week and, with Romero still not ready to return and the club taking no chances over giving Micky van de Ven too many minutes too soon, that sparked a rather frantic search for another addition on deadline day.

The day started out with Tottenham reportedly ending their pursuit of Chelsea’s Axel Disasi and then switching their focus to Crystal Palace and England star Marc Guehi.

Indeed, a significant £70million offer was placed for the Eagles star only for it to be completely rebuffed by their Premier League rivals, despite the fact that Guehi will be out of contract in the summer of 2026.

That rejection then saw a U-turn as Spurs pushed for Disasi again before changing their minds again and then failing with a £20m offer for highly-rated Burnley central defender Maxime Esteve.

But with reports that they are likely to renew their interest in Guehi in the summer, when that price point should drop as his contract starts to run down, Tottenham have been told that the Palace man would be a better option alongside Van de Ven than Romero.

Speaking about Spurs’ efforts to land Guehi on deadline day, former Tottenham midfielder and manager Tim Sherwood told Sky Sports News that the Englishman l is “one of the best centre-backs they can get” and that he is “better than (Cristian) Romero”.

Sherwood, speaking after hearing news of the Guehi offer, said: “If you’re going to try and get Marc Guehi now, you are going to pay over the odds. I think he is worth paying over the odds.

“The two best centre-backs Tottenham have at the club are Cristian Romero and Micky Van de Ven. And unless you can go and get somebody better than them two there’s no point of bringing a body in for the sake of it because at the end of February they’re both gonna be fit and come back into the side.

“With Marc Guehi he is better than Romero in my opinion but he’s not better than Van de Ven, they are completely different but he will be one of the best centre-backs they can get.”

Guehi chase not over yet

Snapping up Guehi in the winter window was always going to be a near-impossible task, given that the Palace skipper had not been pushing for an exit.

However, that stance is expected to change in the summer, when multiple clubs are expected to push for a top international defeender with just a year remaining on his contract.

Newcastle wanted Guehi over the summer and failed with late offers for the 24-year-old, while Liverpool have also had a firm interest in the past.

But, given Romero’s continued links to Real Madrid, there is a strong possibility that the Argentine heads to LaLiga come the end of this season – a move that would then create an opening for Tottenham to make their move for Guehi again.

Latest Tottenham news: German view on Tel deal emerges / Spurs signing exclusive

The view from Germany on the transfer that took Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich to Tottenham has emerged.

Tottenham pulled off one of the most eye-catching moves of the winter window on deadline day when signing 19-year-old striker, Mathys Tel, in a move that was on and off over the course of a week.

The end result was Spurs signed Tel on a six-month loan that contains an option to buy. Sources have diverged on whether the option is worth €55m or €60m, though what is confirmed is the option is in place.

Sky Germany later clarified Tottenham must get Tel’s approval before they can activate that clause in the summer. In other words, Tottenham cannot turn the loan deal permanent if Tel doesn’t want to stay.

But according to a fresh update from Sky Germany’s Uli Koehler, Tottenham will satisfy Tel’s demand for regular game-time and the deal will be a win-win for all involved.

Meanwhile, Tottenham have secured the signing of promising teenage striker Phoenix Offiah with his father and rugby legend, Martin Offiah, telling TEAMtalk exactly what Ange Postecoglou’s side can expect from the 15-year-old.

Tottenham’s signing of Mathys Tel could prove to be the best piece of business in the January window, after they beat rivals Manchester United and Arsenal to his signature.

The talented 19-year-old striker has joined Tottenham on a loan deal until the end of the season which includes an option to buy for £45m. Spurs have also paid a loan fee of over £5m, which could rise to £8m if all add-ons are met.

The agreement with Tottenham was one of the biggest shocks of deadline day and we can shed some light on how Ange Postecogolou and Daniel Levy negotiated the deal.

Tel has been the subject of interest from the Premier League for some time and his early-window preference was to stay with Bayern, while the German giants didn’t want him to leave.

However, Vincent Kompany didn’t give the forward any minutes in three consecutive Bayern games towards the end of the window, which changed the player’s perspective.

Tottenham then agreed £50m fee for Tel with Bayern, before chairman Levy then flew over to Munich to try and convince the player to join. At the time, however, Tel didn’t want to commit to a permanent move and turned Spurs down.

At that point, Spurs walked away and there appeared to be a significant roadblock for all of Tel’s suitors, as Bayern’s preference was to sell him, while Tel was leaning to a loan, so a compromise had to be found.

TRANSFER NEWS LIVE: Man Utd finalising Malacia exit on Eredivisie deadline day; Liverpool exit announced

Ange Postecoglou played starring role in deadline day twist

Manchester United appeared to be frontrunners for Tel after showing interest in a loan deal and the forward was open to a move to Old Trafford.

However, the Red Devils were ultimately unwilling to pay the required loan fee, while Bayern were also pushing for permanence to any Tel deal right up until Monday morning.

Manchester United had to factor in the overall cost of any Tel deal and consider their own PSR (Profitability and Sustainability Rules) situation. Eventually they left the race. It was the same story with Christopher Nkunku, who would have been costly on a loan, plus the player was reluctant to leave on a temporary deal.

Sources have confirmed to TEAMtalk that on the morning of deadline day, Tottenham and Arsenal both asked again about a deal for Tel. Whereas Arsenal took a similar position to Manchester United, Spurs decided to proceed.

Ange Postecoglou held a direct call with Tel and that played an important role in the youngster deciding to get on the plane to North London.

It has been suggested that Tel specially turned down Tottenham when Daniel Levy had tried to initially close the deal, but at that point he was still not open to any permanent switch and waiting to see if Manchester United or Arsenal formalised their interest.

Mathys Tel has pre-agreed long term Tottenham contract

Postecoglou was vital to convincing Tel to join and Levy played an instrumental role in securing the buy option in the loan agreement with Bayern. This was not fully finalised until later on Deadline Day with Tel already en route.

Tottenham will now have the opportunity to sign Tel permanently for £45m in the summer. This is slightly lower than Levy’s original fee, but the financials of the deal are pretty much the same given the loan fee Spurs are paying.

Tel has provisionally agreed terms on a six-year contract in case the option is taken, but would still need to agree to sign this summer for the clause to be formalised.

FULL BREAKDOWN: All the done deals by Premier League clubs in the January 2025 transfer window

POLL: How many goals will Tel score for Tottenham?

The view from Germany on the transfer that took Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich to Tottenham has emerged.

Tottenham pulled off one of the most eye-catching moves of the winter window on deadline day when signing 19-year-old striker, Mathys Tel.

Spurs had originally agreed a €60m fee with Bayern Munich for Tel’s permanent transfer, only for the Frenchman to snub the club.

However, Tottenham remained steadfast in their pursuit and a critical phone call from Ange Postecoglou is understood to have helped change Tel’s mind.

The end result was Spurs signed Tel on a six-month loan that contains an option to buy. Sources have diverged on whether the option is worth €55m or €60m, though what is confirmed is the option is in place.

Sky Germany later clarified Tottenham must get Tel’s approval before they can activate that clause in the summer. In other words, Tottenham cannot turn the loan deal permanent if Tel doesn’t want to stay.

But according to a fresh update from Sky Germany’s Uli Koehler, Tottenham will satisfy Tel’s demand for regular game-time and the deal will be a win-win for all involved.

Koehler explained Tel’s ‘big problem’ is simply he wasn’t getting enough minutes in Munich. Given the presence of Harry Kane, Tel’s lack of action was through no fault of his own.

As far as problems with modern-day footballers go, a player desperately craving more minutes is an excellent issue to inherit.

Furthermore, Koehler revealed the general consensus among the Bayern fanbase is they’re sad to see Tel go.

Nonetheless, Bayern were more than willing to sanction a deal given the potential €60m fee on offer would represent a giant windfall for a player who was never close to being a starter in Bavaria.

“I think it’s a very good move for all parties,” began Koehler.

“The problem for Mathys was that when he came here (to Bayern) a couple of years ago he was so talented, he got time to play, even though he wasn’t always a starter, and the fans were excited about his game, he scored a lot of goals.

“But then in the last half year it didn’t work out that well anymore, so the big problem now is he needs time where he can play. Spurs give that time.

“So I think it’s a very, very good move for everybody despite the [Bayern] fans… they feel sad that he didn’t make it here.

“But I think it’s a lot of money for Bayern Munich for a player who was not a starter at all. I think for both sides it’s a perfect deal.”

Gary Neville’s assessment of Tel to Tottenham

Responding to the news Tel signed with Tottenham and not Manchester United who failed with a loan approach of their own, Gary Neville painted an entirely positive picture.

“Tottenham are a huge draw, the stadium and the training ground and the manager with his style of football. It’s a thrilling style that creates chances,” Neville told Sky Sports News.

“I’m glad Tel is going there after flirting with a couple of other clubs. Tel will improve Spurs.

“They have a big couple of weeks coming up. Sometimes players like the idea of playing for a club but the important thing is to play football. That’s what Tottenham can provide him.

“They are an amazing football club with an amazing fanbase and they have some great games coming up that he can contribute to.”

Per The Telegraph, the reason Man Utd’s efforts to land Tel failed related to their unwillingness to pay Bayern a sizeable £5m loan fee.

Latest Tottenham news – How chaotic centre-back plans unfolded

In other news, Tottenham’s late attempts to sign a second centre-back in the winter window came up short.

After a move for Fikayo Tomori was rejected by the player, Spurs tabled a giant £70m bid for Marc Guehi.

Crystal Palace refused to play ball and that deal could be revisited in the summer – at which point Guehi will only have one year remaining on his contract. Chelsea and Newcastle are expected to provide competition at that time.

With Tomori and Guehi out of the equation, Spurs quickly agreed a £5m fee with Chelsea for the six-month loan of Axel Disasi.

Unfortunately for Spurs, Disasi had already agreed personal terms with Aston Villa and the 26-year-old continued to prioritise Unai Emery’s side.

When Villa eventually agreed to match Chelsea’s demand for a £5m loan fee, Disasi quickly completed his switch to Villa Park.

Tottenham then lodged a £20m bid for Burnley’s Maxime Esteve. The promotion-chasing Clarets value Esteve at £30m and a deal did not progress.

As such, Kevin Danso – signed from Lens on a six-month loan that contains a £20.9m obligation to buy – is Tottenham’s only defensive addition.

And with Radu Dragusin confirmed to have suffered a season-ending ACL injury, Tottenham are effectively no better off at the back.

Tottenham have been warned that the signing of Mathys Tel might not be all it is cracked up to be after a source revealed the real reason why Manchester United turned him down – though two Sky Sports pundits have talked him up and heralded him a ‘perfect fit’ for Ange Postecoglou’s side.

Seen as one of the brightest prospects in world football, Tel decided to leave Bayern Munich in search of more regular first-team football after getting frustrated with his failure to dislodge Harry Kane from Vincent Kompany’s starting XI. As a result, a somewhat dramatic transfer deadline day saw Tel sign on the dotted line for Tottenham Hotspur, having initially rejected the move a few days earlier.

The eventual green light for the move was reportedly inspired by a personal intervention from Postecoglou, who it is claimed had called the teenager up to persuade him why a move to N17 would be best for the development of his career.

As a result, it was Spurs who secured his signing just ahead of the 11pm cut-off, with the 19-year-old joining on loan with a view to a permanent £45.7m (€55m, $56.7m) move.

Tel’s move to Spurs came about despite our understanding that the player’s preference had been in joining Manchester United, whom themselves were seeking a new forward option after allowing Marcus Rashford to join Aston Villa.

Despite talks between the Red Devils and Bayern Munich, United were unable to thrash out a deal, leaving Tottenham to intervene and pinch his signing after all.

However, the Daily Telegraph’s James Ducker, writing on X, has revealed the truths behind that United failure – and it’s claimed United backed out of a deal, feeling demand for a £5m loan fee was an ‘expensive risk’ for a player who is ‘largely unproven’.

Gary Neville, Michael Dawson talk up Spurs’ Mathys Tel deal

Despite those claims, Gary Neville reckons Tel will prove an excellent addition for Postecoglou.

“Tottenham are a huge draw, the stadium and the training ground and the manager with his style of football. It’s a thrilling style that creates chances,” Neville told Sky Sports News.

“I’m glad Tel is going there after flirting with a couple of other clubs. Tel will improve Spurs.

“They have a big couple of weeks coming up. Sometimes players like the idea of playing for a club but the important thing is to play football. That’s what Tottenham can provide him.

“They are an amazing football club with an amazing fanbase and they have some great games coming up that he can contribute to.”

Another Sky Sports pundit, Michael Dawson, also feels Tel will be perfect for Postecoglou’s side and admits the saga caught him by surprise.

“It’s an amazing U-turn, maybe he’s been sounding everything out and seeing what the best option is for him. He’s only 19 and his game-time has been limited this season. But it’s a great fit – ideal for the football Ange Postecoglou wants to play,” Dawson said on Sky Sports News.

“He’s a young, hungry, talented player and he can operate across the frontline. It’s a good deal and a no-brainer for Spurs. They have been plagued by injuries and this is a much-needed and positive signing for them.”

Latest transfer news: Romano on Garnacho links; Amorim sack warning

Meanwhile, while Rashford did escape from Old Trafford, another man linked with a move away – Alejandro Garnacho – did end up staying put despite strong interest in his services from both Chelsea and Napoli.

And with the dust having settled on all the numerous deadline day sagas, Fabrizio Romano has attempted to shed some light on the situation around the Argentine and revealed just how close he came to leave United.

Elsewhere, the decision to let Rashford leave has been strongly condemned by Paul Merson, who feels United could live to regret the decision and that forcing him out could result in Ruben Amorim getting the chop.

At the same time, Merson has also identified a surprise Premier League striker United should sign to boost their attack next season.

There is an ‘agreement’ between Tottenham and Mathys Tel that gives the player power to veto a summer move to Spurs – even if the club want to activate his option to buy, according to a top source.

Tottenham pulled off one of the most eye-catching signings of the winter window when snapping up Bayern Munich striker, Mathys Tel.

Spurs initially struck an agreement with Bayern worth €60m/£55m for Tel’s permanent transfer before the frontman snubbed the chance to join.

Not to be denied, Tottenham pushed again and again and after compromising on the terms of their deal with Bayern, they also made a breakthrough with the player.

Tel has officially joined Spurs on a six-month loan and the club’s late attempts to insert an option to buy succeeded. Reports differ as to whether the option is worth €55m or €60m, though what is clear is an option is in place.

But according to a fresh update from Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, there’s more to the terms than meets the eye.

Plettenberg claimed there is also an ‘agreement’ between Tottenham and Tel that gives the player power to reject a permanent switch to the club in the summer – even if Spurs want to activate their option.

In effect, Tel has to personally greenlight the move before Tottenham are able to turn the loan move permanent. If he decides enough is enough after the loan is up, Spurs cannot complete a permanent deal.

Plettenberg stated on X: “As reported and confirmed Spurs have secured ‘an option to make the move permanent in the summer.’

“However, there is an agreement between Spurs and Tel that the option to buy will only be triggered if the player also gives his consent.”

Postecoglou role in Tel coup / where he’ll play

According to three separate sources, Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou played a starring role in getting Tottenham’s coup over the line.

Taking to X, French reporter, Julien Laurens, wrote: “Ange Postecoglou spoke with Mathys Tel at length earlier today and convinced him to come to Tottenham.

“Huge role played by the Spurs manager to get one of the most coveted youngsters in Europe!”

Echoing those claims, Sky Sports journalist, Michael Bridge, provided his insight into the role Postecoglou played.

“My understanding is Ange Postecoglou had a long conversation with Tel and how he’ll use him,” Bridge said.

“The player liked what he heard and has changed his mind. It’s very similar to how James Maddison joined Spurs the other summer and he said [it was down to] the conversation he had [with Postecoglou].

“Maddison said he was umming and arring between a few clubs until he sat down with [Postecoglou].”

TEAMtalk has consistently reported Tel’s primary motivating factor when choosing who to join is playing time and the assurances the buying club make.

Tel was restricted to just 1,406 minutes of action across all competitions last season. But showcasing his quality and potency despite still being a teenager, Tel racked up 16 goal contributions at a ratio of a goal or assist once every 88 minutes.

Our insider, Fraser Fletcher, has been informed Postecoglou personally guaranteed Tel he’ll be a ‘key’ player at Spurs.

Regarding where Tel will play – he can operate at striker or on the left wing – Plettenberg stressed Spurs would be making a huge mistake if playing Tel anywhere other than up front.

He told Sky Sports News: “This is a very good solution for Tel, Tottenham and Bayern.

“He has reconsidered his decision. He was in talks with Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham. I’m convinced that in the end Spurs have presented the best project in order to get match practice. This is the most important for Tel.

“Now it’s up to Postecoglou to place him in the right position. He’s not a winger, he’s a striker. Let him strike, let him score goals!”

ICYMI: All the done deals by Premier League clubs in the January 2025 transfer window

Latest Tottenham news – Centre-back misery

In other news, Tottenham’s late attempts to sign a second centre-back in the winter window came up short.

After a move for Fikayo Tomori was rejected by the player, Spurs tabled a giant £70m bid for Marc Guehi.

Crystal Palace refused to play ball and that deal could be revisited in the summer – at which point Guehi will only have one year remaining on his contract. Chelsea and Newcastle are expected to provide competition at that time.

With Tomori and Guehi out of the equation, Spurs quickly agreed a £5m fee with Chelsea for the six-month loan of Axel Disasi.

Unfortunately for Spurs, Disasi had already agreed personal terms with Aston Villa and the 26-year-old continued to prioritise Unai Emery’s side.

When Villa eventually agreed to match Chelsea’s demand for a £5m loan fee, Disasi quickly completed his switch to Villa Park.

Tottenham then lodged a £20m bid for Burnley’s Maxime Esteve. The promotion-chasing Clarets value Esteve at £30m and a deal did not progress.

As such, Kevin Danso – signed on a six-month loan that contains a £20.9m obligation to buy – is Tottenham’s only defensive addition.

And with Radu Dragusin confirmed to have suffered a season-ending ACL injury, Tottenham are effectively no better off at the back.