Tottenham are looking to make a triple transfer breakthrough in the closing days of the transfer window having been strongly linked with moves for three players – and with a top source revealing why they can land Mathys Tel and with the Bayern Munich star’s preference also coming to light.
Ange Postecoglou has endured a difficult season so far with six losses in their last seven Premier League games seeing the club slide down the table to 15th, with just an eight-point buffer between themselves and the relegation zone. But while pressure has been heaped on Postecoglou’s shoulders as a result, there is plenty of internal sympathy at Tottenham for the situation the club finds themselves in and Daniel Levy and Co intend to fully back their manager for now.
As a result, efforts are being stepped up to strengthen their squad in the closing days of the window, with Yoane Wissa of Brentford, Southampton’s Tyler Dibling and Bayern Munich star Tel all in their sights.
TEAMtalk transfer insider Fraser Fletcher was the first to break the news of Tottenham’s interest in Tel on Wednesday, though competition for the Bayern Munich star is understood to be extremely tough with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United also chasing his signature.
Talk of a move to England, though, has gathered pace with the teenager making clear he wants to leave the German giants in pursuit of regular first-team football and having seemingly said his goodbyes to the Allianz Arena crowd in Wednesday’s Champions League clash.
Now according to the Daily Telegraph, Spurs have already secured themselves what’s described as a big advantage in the race for the 19-year-old’s signature having recently secured a strong relationship with Bayern following the sales of Harry Kane and more recently Eric Dier. As a result, it is indicated that Bayern may prefer to negotiate with them with Levy having already discussed a possible move for Tel when negotiating the sale of England captain Kane in summer 2023.
And with Spurs open to the possibility of either signing him on loan or a permanent basis, they could yet win the race for the impressive 22-goal forward.
Tottenham will need to convince Tel of move; Wissa & Dibling also wanted
As a result, and certainly, for the next 24 hours at least, much of the work at Tottenham will be on convincing the France U21 international to move to N17 and why the club’s position at the wrong end of the Premier League table is only a temporary blip.
However, it seems Spurs will have their work cut out to sign Tel, with in-the-know journalist Paul O’Keefe downplaying their chances of a deal and having revealed the striker prefers a move to Manchester United instead.
Whether United, though, will get the funds in place to secure a deal remains to be seen, with the Red Devils needing to offload one of either Alejandro Garnacho or Marcus Rashford before making a move of their own.
All the same, Spurs can strike, who hope their advantage with Bayern will stand them in good stead.
And there is certainly more than a bit of hope for Spurs following confirmation from our sources that the player has decided to move on before the window closes.
At the same time, Spurs are not simply resting on their laurels with just the one signing and are also stepping up their hunt to secure Dibling.
The teenager has enjoyed an impressive season despite Southampton’s struggles at the foot of the Premier League, proving their shining light in a thoroughly difficult season.
And while a January move looks difficult to pull off, Spurs hope to seal an agreement for his summer signing now to the tune of around £55m.
Per Foot Mercato, Spurs have also launched a surprise move for Brentford forward Wissa.
The DR Congo international has been in electric form this season, scoring 11 goals in 19 Premier League games and helping Thomas Frank’s side forget all about Ivan Toney, who moved to Saudi Arabia over the summer.
Postecoglou is reported to be attracted by Wissa’s ability to play either out wide or as a central striker – a valuable asset right now with all of Dominic Solanke, Brennan Johnson and Timo Werner out injured.
Nottingham Forest have already seen a £22m offer for his services rejected by the Bees earlier this month and it is likely Spurs will need to offer significantly more than that if their London rivals are to accept.
Postecoglou has spoken of his side’s ambitions to strengthen in the final days of the window, though stopped short of naming targets.
“Traditionally the last few days of any window tend to be pretty frenetic. I expect us to be involved in that,” he said. “Does that mean anything will get concluded?
“I can’t commit to that (answer). I’m a bit of a distance from it but the information and dialogue I have is we’re exploring all the opportunities to see if we can bring some help in with the finances.”
Tottenham transfer latest: Milan star tracked, Rashford stance on Spurs
Tottenham were also linked with AC Milan winger Noah Okafor on Wednesday evening, though, the Swiss is understood to only be their backup option if a move for Tel fails to go through.
The winger has been cleared to leave the Rossoneri this month and came close to joining RB Leipzig earlier this window after they agreed a deal to bring him to Germany, only for the move to collapse after an issue cropped up, in his medical.
Whether he would pass one now remains to be seen, but the €25million (£20.9m / $26m) asking price would be well within reach if they did trigger that move.
Spurs have also been mentioned as a possible suitor for Marcus Rashford in the final days of the window. However, the unsettled Manchester United forward would be unlikely to opt for Tottenham as a destination this month, with the player’s preference very much focused on moving abroad.
Barcelona are the side who are the object of his desires, but with their finances tight, a last-gasp move to N17 has been talked up as a possibility with Rashford now said to have ‘one option left’
Meanwhile, Levy is reported to be working hard to convince England midfielder Angel Gomes to move to Spurs at the end of his Lille contract. The four-times capped star knows the Premier League having previously played for Man Utd and his free-transfer signing would be seen as a real coup.
IN FOCUS: Who is Mathys Tel?
Tel is a clinical finisher. The way he can get off shots so quickly with minimal backlift is so impressive.
As a finisher he doesn’t have any angle bias, he can get shots off on target even at the tightest angles and on his ‘weaker’ left foot. Tel’s ‘weak foot’ ability means he can take players on near the box on either foot and still shoot accurately. This only makes him more unpredictable and harder to mark.
The Frenchman’s ball striking is so impressive. Shooting from distance, he strikes the ball with so much power that it’s tough to stop his shots. Even when in a one-on-one he loves to smash shots in rather than place them but also does so accurately.
Tel loves to make runs in behind the defence, particularly between the opponent’s right-back and right-sided centre-back. It’s these areas as an inside forward where Tel shines as he explodes into space and powers a finish past the keeper.
Tel’s intelligent movement creates high-quality chances for himself and he just needs to play with someone who can consistently find him and he’ll score lots of goals. When playing as a striker he drifts to the left a lot so he can isolate defenders in 1v1 situations and beat them to cut inside on his right foot.
He’s a quick player but not lightning fast, he’s smart with where he runs though always looking to get through the defence.
One of his most impressive traits is his physical maturity. Tel has a compact frame with good physicality. When shoulder to shoulder with a defender he’s tough to muscle off the ball and shields the ball well with his body. Tel’s physicality means he’s got decent hold-up and back-to-goal play too as a striker.
Tel’s athleticism is impressive too. He’s really springy which allows him to escape challenges and get shots off quickly with a lot of power. But this power in his legs also gives Tel a good vertical jump to be an aerial threat too. He’s displayed good heading ability when the opportunity to has arisen.
