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Journalist shares plan for Mathys Tel after speaking with Tottenham sources

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Tottenham Hotspur starlet Mathys Tel was introduced off the bench in their crushing Carabao Cup defeat away to Liverpool on Thursday evening, but the Frenchman was one of very few who showed flashes of quality at Anfield.

Mathys Tel impresses as Tottenham crash out of Carabao Cup

Ange Postecoglou's biggest game of the season so far couldn't have gone any worse on paper, with Arne Slot's side swiftly and ruthlessly overturning their 1-0 first leg deficit to reign 4-1 victors on aggregate.

Goals from Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Virgil van Dijk handed Liverpool a comfortable 4-0 win and booked their place in the final at Wembley against Newcastle United, all while dealing a seismic blow to Postecoglou, who was just two games away from a piece of major silverware at Spurs before kick-off.

One small silver lining for the Lilywhites was Tel's flashes of brilliance and overall positive performance, after coming off the bench to replace Richarlison, who was forced off with yet another injury.

Tel was spotted waving his Tottenham teammates on against Liverpool and encouraging them to get forward, while there were also glimpses of his real tidyness on the half-turn and attacking flair at times.

The 19-year-old, going off this cameo alone, could be crucial in helping to ressurrect Postecoglou's stuttering campaign. Beyond 2024/2025, the question remains - will Tel still be a Spurs player next season?

Journalist shares what Tottenham are actually planning for Mathys Tel

Tottenham are convinced they've signed a "generational talent" in Tel, with journalist Dean Jones now sharing what the future holds in store for him after Spurs signed the attacker on loan with an option to buy.

According to Jones, speaking on the Ranks FC Ultras Podcast, Tottenham fully intend to sign Tel permanently, but the reporter personally doubts whether Postecoglou's newest recruit wants the same thing.

“At the end of the day, even if it was a dry loan, which it was going to be, in that moment, I spoke to Tottenham and I wrote a story about it. It was like Tottenham still, I think I tweeted it, I think, rather than wrote about it, it was like, Tottenham still intend to make this a permanent signing," said Jones.

"Like, this isn’t what they want, like they’ll do it. If this is the way to do it, then all they’ll do over the following months is try to convince him that this is the place for him.

"I still feel like the player doesn’t fully want to leave Bayern Munich, and even if he does really well here at Tottenham, he might see it as, well, if I do really well, I can play for Bayern Munich again. So maybe I’m being cynical about that, but I get that impression. He didn’t really want this transfer to happen, did he?

“It was only when Man United pulled out that it came back on the table because he wanted to go there.

“Yeah, I mean, there is an element, I imagine, that he really did want to go out and get minutes, whether that meant he wanted to depart Bayern permanently or not, it is a different question. But I’m quite interested with this whole Ange Postecoglou getting on the phone and basically being like, look, this is how I see you fitting into my system. This is where I foresee you getting minutes.”

Tel must start: Ange must drop 4/10 Spurs dud to have any chance of success

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And just like that, Tottenham Hotspur miss out on another chance for silverware.

Ange Postecoglou's side travelled to Anfield for the second leg of their League Cup semi-final last night, and while they did so with a 1-0 advantage, they won't be heading to Webley Stadium next month.

The North Londoners were unable to keep Liverpool at bay and never looked even remotely like scoring themselves, so while the hosts eventually ran out 4-0 winners, it could have easily been more.

With all that said, the Lilywhites have to now dust themselves off and go again, as they still have two more chances to win a trophy this season, although to give the team the best chance of doing so, Postecoglou must drop one of his star players for new boy Mathys Tel.

Why Tel has to start

So, while Tel did get his first run out in a Spurs shirt late into the first half last night, the main arguments for why he should be starting the FA Cup game on the weekend, and the Premier League games after that, do not stem from his somewhat underwhelming performance.

In fact, they don't even really come from what he did with Bayern Munich prior to his move this season, as Vincent Kompany hardly gave him any game time. Instead, they stem from his outrageously impressive form last season.

For example, despite still only playing 1406 minutes of first-team football across 41 appearances, the young Frenchman racked up a brilliant haul of ten goals and provided six assists.

That means that, in a season in which he was just 18 years old at the start, the player Spurs believe to be a "generational" talent, per journalist Graeme Bailey, maintained an average of a goal involvement every 2.56 games, or every 87.87 minutes.

Moreover, according to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues, the Champions League and the Europa League, the Sarcelles-born ace sits in the top 9% of attacking midfielders and wingers for total shots, the top 13% for successful take-ons, the top 14% for assists and more, all per 90.

In short, the Bayern loanee is an exceptionally exciting attacker who could and would inject some much-needed dynamism into Spurs' frontline, and therefore, he must start in place of a veteran for the foreseeable future.

The Spurs star Postecoglou must drop

The unfortunate reality of last night's dismal display is that you could probably make a case for why most of the starting lineup shouldn't keep their place for the game against Villa on the weekend.

However, the manager is not blessed with the squad depth to make wholesale changes and, stars like Dejan Kulusevski have shown earlier this season that, at his best, he's unplayable.

Therefore, the player that Postecoglou should be looking to drop in place of Tel is none other than club captain Son Heung-min.

The South Korean superstar is an icon of both the team and the league, but last night was yet another game that seemingly passed him by, as while he rattled the crossbar in the dying embers, he was unbelievably ineffective for practically the entire match.

It might sound harsh, but it's an opinion shared by the Standard's Dan Kilpatrick, who gave the winger a 4/10 match rating at full-time, writing that he 'struggled to make any inroads' against the Reds' steadfast defence, which is also borne out in his statistics.

In his 93 minutes on the pitch, the former Bayer Leverkusen star failed to have a single shot on target, failed in 100% of his attempted dribbles, maintained a dismal passing accuracy of just 59%, played no key passes, took just 29 touches, failed in 100% of his crosses and long balls, lost four of five ground duels and 100% of aerial duels, lost the ball 13 times and was dribbled past twice.

Ultimately, it was a diabolically poor performance from the captain, and given the fact he's set to turn 33 in the summer and research carried out by The Athletic revealed that wingers see a dramatic decline in their ability to take players on at 30, it seems incredibly unlikely that we'll ever see him back to his best.

Therefore, to give the team the best chance of finally lifting some silverware this season, Postecoglou must drop Son from the starting lineup and replace him with the incredibly dynamic, unpredictable and exciting Tel, especially ahead of Villa on Sunday.

5 players Tottenham Hotspur should sign this summer

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Tottenham Hotspur fans received a deadline-day boost when the club confirmed the signing of highly rated French winger Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich.

The 19-year-old, often compared to Thierry Henry and Kylian Mbappe, reportedly turned down interest from multiple Premier League rivals to join Spurs, where he will compete with the likes of summer signing Dominic Solanke for a spot in the frontline.

How Tel will fare in north London remains to be seen, but even if he excels, several glaring issues still need addressing for Ange Postecoglou's side. Much to everyone's surprise, Spurs have been stuck in the bottom half this season, exposing key weaknesses across the squad.

One of the biggest concerns is the lack of solidity in defensive midfield - a lingering problem since Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's departure to Marseille last year.

Injuries to Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven have further highlighted the need for defensive reinforcements, as backup options Ben Davies and Radu Dragusin have struggled to fill the void.

A new, world-class goalkeeper should also be on the club's radar, with Guglielmo Vicario’s inability to command his box at corners proving to be a major issue.

With all that in mind, here are five players we believe Tottenham should target in the summer.

Crystal Palace

Due to a combination of injuries and a lack of quality, Tottenham's biggest issue this season has been their defence. While Postecoglou's side has been prolific in attack, they have struggled to keep goals out.

In an attempt to address the problem, Spurs made a surprise £70m bid for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi on deadline day, but their offer was swiftly rejected.

With competition expected in the summer, Tottenham should make every effort to secure his signature. Since joining Crystal Palace in 2021, Guehi has established himself as one of the Premier League's top centre-backs.

He has also proven his ability on the biggest stage, delivering standout performances for England during their run to the Euro 2024 final.

Real Madrid

Despite being one of Europe’s most promising young talents, Arda Guler has become something of an outcast at Real Madrid, struggling to fully break into a forward line stacked with superstars like Kylian Mbappe, Rodrygo, Vinícius Junior, Endrick and Brahim Diaz. Injuries haven’t helped his cause either, further limiting his opportunities.

Too gifted to waste away on the bench, Guler should seek a move where he can truly showcase his abilities, and Tottenham could be the perfect destination to give him that chance.

Often compared to the great Lionel Messi due to his elegant dribbling, lethal finishing and exquisite left foot, the Turkey international would be a fantastic addition to Spurs' frontline - one with the potential to become a club icon in the years ahead.

The main obstacle is that Real Madrid have made it clear they have no intention of selling Guler, while the player himself is also understood to want to remain in the Spanish capital and fight for his place in Carlo Ancelotti's star-studded side.

However, things can change quickly in football. If the 19-year-old continues to struggle for regular game time, he may reconsider his options by the end of the year.

Liverpool

Ask any Tottenham fan, and they'll likely tell you that while Guglielmo Vicario has had a promising spell in north London, he doesn’t seem like a long-term solution as the club's first-choice goalkeeper.

A player who could be, however, is Liverpool No 2 Caoimhin Kelleher.

The Republic of Ireland international has consistently impressed when called upon, most notably in the Champions League against Real Madrid, where he denied Kylian Mbappe from the penalty spot to help secure a 2-0 victory for the Reds.

Despite his talent, he has never been able to fully displace Alisson as Liverpool’s No 1, and he recently made it clear that he wants regular first-team football elsewhere.

With seven clean sheets in 14 appearances this season, Kelleher has already proven he belongs at a top Premier League club. Spurs should seize the opportunity to make him their long-term goalkeeper.

Fenerbahce/PSG

While a fully fit trio of Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, and potentially Marc Guehi should, in theory, provide enough defensive stability for Spurs next season, this campaign has shown that relying on limited depth is a gamble they can’t afford to take.

Additional cover is essential, even if only to ensure Postecoglou can avoid relying on Radu Dragusin.

A viable and high-quality option could be Slovakian defender Milan Skriniar, who is currently on loan at Fenerbahce from Paris Saint-Germain. He is not expected to remain in Turkey beyond this season, and reports suggest he will be sold by PSG in the summer - probably on the cheap.

At 29, he still has plenty left to offer at the top level, and his strong passing ability would make him a strong fit for Spurs' system.

Atalanta

Spurs have invested heavily in their search for a dynamic, all-action holding midfielder in recent years - spending significant sums on Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr, Moussa Sissoko and Tanguy Ndombele, among others.

Yet, none have truly lived up to expectations, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg - now at Marseille - arguably coming the closest to success.

Atalanta's Ederson could finally be the player to bring that long-running search to an end.

Back in January, South American football expert Tim Vickery described Ederson as a "strong, well-built central midfielder".

"Strong on the ball, versatile, box-to-box. Strong personality as well," Vickery said to Sky Sports of the Brazilian, who has been capped twice by his country.

Vickery added: "The first time I remember him was his professional debut, really. He was thrown in the deep end in a big team called Cruzeiro, who were really on the slide. They were relegated in dreadful form and even in this bad context, he stood out, so a lot of virtues."

Alongside Kinsky: Spurs ace who lost 10/12 duels ruined their trophy hopes

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Well, last night was nothing short of a disaster for Tottenham Hotspur.

Ange Postecoglou's side travelled to Anfield with an incredibly hard-fought 1-0 aggregate lead and a slim but real chance to make it to the League Cup final, but instead of battling to keep that lead or even fighting to extend it, the North Londoners did neither.

Instead, they sat back and watched Liverpool put four past them in a display that might be one of their worst in an already shockingly poor season.

Aside from perhaps Djed Spence and, to a lesser extent, Kevin Danso and Archie Gray, there were dire performances across the pitch for the visitors, but two players stood out for all the wrong reasons, including Antonín Kinský.

Kinský's performance vs Liverpool

In the first leg, Kinský was sublime, and many argued that he was the man of the match for his shot-stopping and skills with the ball at his feet, but that couldn't have been further from the reality of his performance last night.

The Czech ace was nervous on the ball and, for some reason, seemingly hellbent on never actually catching it in dangerous situations either, constantly punching it unnecessarily and often into danger.

He should have done better for Cody Gakpo's opener and gave away the penalty for the Reds' second, and while he did pull off a great save from Mohamed Salah in the first half, it was a night to forget for the 21-year-old.

It might sound harsh, but it's an opinion shared by football.london's Alasdair Gold, who awarded him a 4/10 match rating at full-time.

In all, Kinský is still very young for a keeper, and there is every chance he could grow into the number one Spurs need him to be.

However, tonight was an indication that it might take a while for that to happen, and unfortunately for Ange, he wasn't the only starter to struggle, as Dejan Kulusevski was just as poor.

Kulusevski's performance vs Liverpool

There is no denying that when he's on form, Kulusevski is one of the best players in the Premier League, let alone at Spurs, but last night was another game in which he was a million miles from his best.

Postecoglou decided to start the former Juventus star off the right despite how well he's played in midfield this season, and to say he was ineffective would be an understatement.

The Stockholm-born maestro looked almost afraid to take anyone on, and the few times he found himself in a dangerous position, he ended up making the wrong decision.

Again, while this may sound harsh, it's an opinion shared by Gold, who gave him a potentially kind 5/10 match rating and wrote that he 'could barely control the ball' at times, while journalist Hunter Godson pointed out that he looked "shattered."

Unfortunately for the Swede, his statistics don't help his case either, as in 93 minutes, he failed to take a single shot on target on a woeful night in front of goal.

He was uncharacteristically poor with the ball at his feet too, failing with four of five dribble attempts, taking just 45 touches and playing only one key pass.

His woes were compounded by his ability to win duels as well, notably losing ten of the 12 he contested at Anfield.

Ultimately, while Kinský was certainly one of Spurs' worst players last night, Kulusevski was just as poor at the other end of the pitch.

"Alarm bells" - Pundit shares Kevin Danso "concern" for Tottenham

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Tottenham Hotspur sealed a loan deal to sign Kevin Danso from RC Lens in a last-gasp January window move, which includes a £21 million obligation to buy, but one pundit has shared a "concern" for Spurs in regard to their new arrival.

Kevin Danso set for Tottenham debut against Liverpool

With both Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero ruled out of Tottenham's Carabao Cup semi-final clash against Liverpool, and Radu Dragusin out for at least six months after sustaining ACL damage, manager Ange Postecoglou has confirmed that Danso is set to play a role at Anfield tonight.

You couldn't ask for a tougher debut than a baptism of fire at Anfield, with Spurs holding on to a precious 1-0 lead from the first leg of their semi-final and Postecoglou desperately looking not to concede easy chances.

"He will play," said Postecoglou on Danso's inclusion against Liverpool. "Whether he starts or not we will take a look because we have another game three days later and that has been our existence for quite a while now.

"You are right, Ben (Davies), Archie, Pedro (Porro) has played every minute of football we have had for the last three months, but the boys are handling it okay, and the performances are still stacking up.

"It’s great to get Kevin in. He is ready to play. Whether he starts or he comes on, we will make a decision. It’s really important he is part of it now because losing Radu was a massive blow so having him available is good."

When asked if Danso was a reactionary signing from Spurs, given just how late it was on in the window, not to mention how they hijacked Wolves' deal for the Austrian, Postecoglou assured supporters he's there for the long-term.

"I don't think we'd be signing 21-year-olds and 19-year-olds reactively," said Postecoglou in his pre-Liverpool press conference.

"If it was reactive we'd be signing 35-year-olds. So the nature of the players signed shows they're not just about now, they're about us continuing to build. I certainly see Toni, Mathys and Kevin very much part of a short, medium and long-term strategy here, for sure. They're all really good fits for what we're doing."

Pundit shares Kevin Danso "concern" for Tottenham

Speaking to Tottenham News, pundit John Wenham shared a "concern" he holds with Danso signing for Tottenham.

“Danso isn’t actually someone that I know too much about,” Wenham said. “However, I do think to myself that he is 26, he’s been playing in the French league for a long time, and none of the other clubs have touched him.

“Some of these scouts have been on extensive missions in France scouting the likes of William Saliba, Wesley Fofana and Leny Yoro. However, nobody has picked up on Danso before. As a result, that is a bit of a concern for me.

“I hope I’m wrong, and he comes in and smashes it. However, that does ring some alarm bells for me.”

While the 26-year-old didn't quite make it at Southampton, his Ligue 1 form for Lens shows exactly why Tottenham brought him to N17.

Spurs struck gold with "unbelievable" star worth millions more than Danso

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For much of the last month or so, it looked as if Tottenham Hotspur would remain relatively inactive in the transfer window.

After all, aside from the young Antonín Kinský, who arrived for £12.5m from Slavia Prague on the 5th, the North Londoners failed to make any more additions to their injury-riddled squad in January.

However, in the closing days of the window, Daniel Levey and Co got to work, and while they saw a surprise £70m offer for Marc Guehi rejected, they were able to sign two exciting players.

The real headliner of the pair is undoubtedly Mathys Tel, who has joined on a short-term loan with a £45m option to buy, but perhaps the most necessary addition is Kevin Danso, who also joined on a short-term loan but with an obligation to buy at £20.9m.

However, while the talented centre-back is undoubtedly a brilliant signing, he'll have to hit the ground running to see his valuation get close to that of one of his new teammates.

Why Spurs signed Danso

So, it would probably be fair to say that before the deal was announced, there were not too many Spurs fans calling for the club to sign Danso specifically, but just because he wasn't a particularly known quantity prior to his move doesn't mean he's a lacklustre player.

In fact, it looks like Levy and Co have got their hands on quite a talented centre-back with plenty of experience but still plenty of room to grow as well.

For example, across his senior career to date, the Voitsberg-born star has made 128 appearances for RC Lens - who played in the Champions League last season and came second in Ligue 1 the year before that - 44 for FC Augsburg, 33 for Fortuna Dusselsdorf and ten for Southampton.

On top of that, he has also won 24 senior caps for Austria, and as he is still just 26 years old, he shouldn't be hitting his peak until next season, per research carried out by The Athletic in 2021.

Moreover, as well as being able to bring some more experience to the Lilywhites' injury-ravaged backline, the right-footed titan will also add some physicality, as he stands at an impressive 6 foot 3, and according to respected football analyst Ben Mattinson, is blessed with "rapid recovery pace."

In all, Danso looks like he'll be a brilliant addition to Postecoglou's squad, but even so, his current valuation is way less than one of his defensive teammates.

The Spurs star worth millions more than Danso

So, to get straight to the point, the defender we are talking about is none other than Cristian Romero.

The "unbelievable" centre-back, as dubbed by teammate Micky van de Ven, joined the club on a loan-to-buy deal in the summer of 2021 under then-manager Nuno Espírito Santo.

However, it was under the Italian icon Antonio Conte that the permanent move was completed for £42.5m, which was money very well spent as, per Football Transfers, the Argentine icon is now worth up to €80.7m, which is about £67.6m, or a whopping £46.7m more than the club paid for Danso.

However, while that is an enormous valuation, it would be hard to argue that the club's co-vice captain doesn't deserve it, as when he's fit to play, he is immense.

For example, according to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues, the Champions League and the Europa League, the 26-year-old sits in the top 3% of centre-backs for non-penalty expected goals plus assists, the top 6% for total shots and passes attempted, the top 10% for non-penalty goals, the top 11% for tackles and aerial duels won and more, all per 90.

On top of that, the former Juventus ace is a proven winner, playing a major role in Argentina's World Cup triumph in 2022 and their two most recent Copa América titles.

Ultimately, Spurs have an exciting new defender in Danso, but he'll have to set the world alight to see his valuation get close to Romero's.

After signing Danso: Ange must ruthlessly axe "future £100m" Spurs star

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Things have not gone remotely to plan for Tottenham Hotspur this season.

Ange Postecoglou's side have been utterly ravaged by a seemingly never-ending list of injuries that have seen them fall down the Premier League table, but on the weekend, something finally went their way.

The Lilywhites made the short trip to free-scoring Brentford and ran out 2-0 winners thanks to an uncharacteristically solid defensive display, and then to further bolster morale, the club secured the services of centre-back Kevin Danso and attacker Mathys Tel before the transfer window slammed shut.

Attention now turns to the second leg of the club's League Cup semi-final away to Liverpool tonight, and while the team who won at the Gtech were excellent, Postecoglou must be bold and drop one of the team's stand-out performers this season for Danso.

Why Danso must start against Liverpool

So, it is no secret that tonight's clash at Anfield is Spurs' most important game of the campaign thus far, as a win, or even a draw, will see them make it into the League Cup final and stand a serious chance of ending their trophy drought.

So, with that said, Postecoglou needs to play his best team, and with Radu Dragusin now out and both Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven looking unlikely to feature, there could be a real lack of experience at the back, unless, of course, he does what he needs to do and gives new boy Danso his first start.

In an ideal world, the loanee would be eased into the team, but given the manager's lack of options and the incredible importance of the game, there is no other sensible choice, and based on this season, the Voitsberg-born star looks more than capable of stepping up.

For example, he's already made 14 appearances for Lens this season, who are sixth in Ligue 1, and on top of that, he has plenty of international experience, winning 24 caps for Austria and playing 211 minutes for the team at last year's European Championships.

On top of his experience and know-how, the 24-year-old can also bring his impressive physical characteristics to the backline, as he stands at 6 foot 3, and according to respected football analyst Ben Mattinson, he's blessed with "rapid recovery pace", which is "perfect for teams with a high line."

There is undoubtedly an element of risk in handing a player their first start in such a high-pressure game, but Danso looks to be just the sort of defender Postecoglou desperately needs at the moment, although to make space for him, he'll need to take one of his young stars out of the team.

The Spurs star Postecoglou should drop

So, with everything we have said above, it should be no surprise that the player we think Postecoglou should be taking out of the backline tonight is Archie Gray.

Now, before the pitchforks come out, that is in no way a slight on how the youngster has played this season, but considering the magnitude of tonight's game and the pressure he'd be under, it feels like it would be ill-advised to start him in an unnatural position when the club now has someone to come in a play there.

Moreover, while the 18-year-old prospect has been brilliant since becoming a regular in the first team and is playing well beyond his years, there is also a responsibility from the club and manager not to overplay him, and there is a risk of that now.

For example, the Durham-born gem has already made 30 first-team appearances this season, and more important than that, he's played a whopping 2157 minutes, and it's only February.

The former Leeds United ace has an incredibly bright future ahead of him, and from what we have seen of him so far, it looks like he could fulfil Mattinson's claim that he's a "future £100m cm," but for that to happen, he needs to be able to rest now and again.

Moreover, if the manager feels he is needed in tonight's game, he'd be better off bringing him on in midfield later in the match, where he could influence proceedings more.

Ultimately, Postecoglou should look to drop Gray tonight for three reasons: he now has another recognised centre-back in Danso, he shouldn't be played into the ground, and the game will be unbelievably intense.

Spurs must regret losing "world-class" PL star who was their original Tel

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This season has been rough for Tottenham Hotspur, but the last few days have provided the fans with reasons to be hopeful.

On the pitch, Ange Postecoglou's side showed some real defensive solidity in their Premier League win away to Brentford, and off of it, Daniel Levy and Co finally strengthened the squad.

Just a day before the transfer window slammed shut, the club announced the signing of RC Lens centre-back Kevin Danso on a short-term loan with an obligation to buy at £20.9m.

Then, on deadline day itself, Mathys Tel was announced in a brilliant twist following reports that he had turned the Lilywhites down on Friday.

The French phenom has also joined on a short-term loan, but with an option to buy at £45m, and while his arrival is exceptionally exciting, the club could have been even more stacked in the attack had they been able to keep hold of a former player who was their original Tel.

Why Tel is a brilliant signing for Spurs

It would be fair to say that Spurs' capture of Tel on Monday afternoon caused quite a stir among fans across the footballing world, and for good reason.

The 19-year-old dynamo might not have played much football under Bayern's new boss, Vincent Kompany, this season, but last year, in the still limited but greater amount of game time Thomas Tuchel gave him, the Frenchman was unreal.

For example, in 41 appearances, totalling just 1406 minutes, the Sarcelles-born game-changer scored ten goals and provided six assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.56 games, or every 87.87 minutes, which is simply sensational.

Furthermore, while the "mind-blowing" star, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, will likely come in and play off the left for Spurs to provide the dynamism that Son Heung-min and Timo Werner cannot, he's also more than capable of playing down the middle, and even off the right on occasion.

Therefore, not only will the manager have another tremendously exciting winger on his hands who can score and assist goals with aplomb, but he'll also have a versatile star to help cover for injuries elsewhere across the frontline.

With that said, the club would be even better positioned had they kept one of their former youth players, who has since won comparisons to Tel.

Spurs' original Tel

So, to get straight to the point, the former Spurs player who has since been compared to Tel is Chelsea's Noni Madueke.

Yes, before the £50k-per-week Englishman was playing for the Blues, he was tearing it up for PSV Eindhoven, who he joined for free in the summer of 2018 from the Lilywhites youth set-up, despite efforts by the club to keep him.

In the Netherlands, the 22-year-old racked up a haul of 20 goals and 14 assists in 80 appearances, which was enough to tempt the Pensioners into spending £30m on him in January 2023.

The potentially "world-class" international, as dubbed by journalist Simon Phillips, initially struggled for game time in West London, but this season, he has scored eight goals and provided four assists in 22 appearances, which comes out to a goal involvement on average every 2.16 games.

However, with all that said, aside from the clear positional similarities between the pair, where has this comparison to Tel come from?

Well, in this instance, it stems from FBref, which compares players in similar positions in Europe's top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and, in this case, has concluded that the Englishman is the second most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the French prospect.

The best way to see how this conclusion has been reached is by looking at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including, but not limited to, actual and progressive passes, expected assists, crosses into the penalty area, tackles won, attempted take-ons and more, all per 90.

Moreover, while there is a sense that the ceiling is that little bit higher for the Bayern loanee, there is also a real chance that in a more stable environment and under an attacking manager, the former Lilywhites prospect could develop into an incredibly exciting winger.

Ultimately, Spurs have done well to secure Tel's services this season, but we can't help but imagine just how much more dangerous they would be with Madueke on the other flank.

Tottenham thrilled by "generational" teen talent as he awaits Spurs debut

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Tottenham Hotspur are revelling over a Spurs teenager's quality behind-the-scenes, with the player currently waiting to make his full debut under Ange Postecoglou.

Tottenham prepare for Liverpool in Carabao Cup second leg at Anfield

Lucas Bergvall's late first leg Carabao Cup semi-final winner handed injury-ridden Spurs a crucial advantage heading into their second leg at Anfield on Thursday evening, but it is a tough ask for Postecoglou's side to come away from Merseyside unscathed.

Arne Slot's Premier League frontrunners are England's standout side right now, and they haven't got the array of player selection dilemmas currently facing Tottenham amid their ongoing injury crisis.

Postecoglou, though, has benefited from the late January window arrivals of Kevin Danso from RC Lens and, most notably, Bayern Munich sensation Mathys Tel on a season-long loan.

Radu Dragusin is out for a lengthy period after suffering a serious ACL injury, while both Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero are working their way back to full fitness, so Danso's addition is pivotal.

Postecoglou relied on youngsters to get Spurs through their first leg against Liverpool, with Bergvall putting in an impressive display, Antonin Kinsky dazzling on his debut in goal and Archie Gray performing excellently as a makeshift centre-back.

"I haven't lost sight of the fact that we've got two 18-year-olds, one who's playing at centre back (Archie Gray), it's not even his position," said Postecoglou after Tottenham's first leg win over Liverpool.

"I just don't think people really understand the level of performance that these young guys are giving us at the moment. We had a goalkeeper (Antonin Kinsky) on debut. Djed (Spence) is playing left-back, unbelievably well. Lucas is just growing all the time. He's got that ability as a footballer to create space for himself.

"He's got the quality, but he works awfully hard for the team as well. Like I said, we've been dealing with some adversity for sure, but we've had some growth in that, I've got no doubt about that. That's been masked by poor results and poor form, for sure. I've got no doubt that when we get our players back, the foundations are really strong, with a group of players we can really grow with."

Tottenham privately hailing "generational talent" Mathys Tel

Now, with another young starlet set to play a crucial role under Postecoglou in Tel, journalist Graeme Bailey has revealed that those within the club are privately hailing the 19-year-old.

Tel performed a major U-turn over joining Tottenham, originally rejecting their advances before Postecoglou and Harry Kane swayed him into changing his mind, and now the French starlet is set to bolster Spurs' ranks as they look to finish the campaign strongly.

According to Bailey, Tottenham are convinced they've got a "generational talent" in Tel, who's awaiting to make his debut for the club, as supporters anticipate what he'll bring to the table.

"Tottenham are already celebrating behind the scenes in regards to the signing of Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich," said Bailey, via X. "Spurs believe Tel to be a 'generational talent'."

The versatile forward racked up 10 goals and bagged a further six assists in all competitions for Bayern last term, and if he can replicate those numbers in England, Spurs would surely be tempted to trigger the rumoured £50 million buy-option clause in his loan deal.

Likelihood of Tottenham signing Marc Guehi this summer after failed bid

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Tottenham Hotspur made one of the most ambitious attempts of January's transfer window with a £70 million bid for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, but what is the likelihood of Spurs succeeding with a summer approach?

Crystal Palace reject £70 million bid from Tottenham for Marc Guehi

A story which took everyone off-guard was Spurs chairman Daniel Levy's swoop for the England international, and he was even willing to break the club's transfer record in a dramatic late move.

Guehi has just under 18 months left on his Selhurst Park contract, so you can make a very serious case that £70 million is a very generous offer, but it is one that still didn't tempt Palace chairman Steve Parish into doing business midway through the campaign.

Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge was left stunned by the news on deadline day, praising Palace's solidarity in rebuffing such a mammoth bid considering Guehi's contract situation.

"There's always a story out of nowhere, and the story we are getting now - first called by David Ornstein of The Athletic - is that Crystal Palace have rejected a bid of £70million for Marc Guehi, the Crystal Palace captain and England international," said Bridge (via GiveMeSport).

"That is a major development, and of course, that's major, major money as well that Crystal Palace have reportedly turned down. Given his contract length, that's a real show of solidarity and support from Palace's side in keeping Guehi.

"What we brought to you last summer about the four rejected bids from Newcastle, and as we said in our transfer show, Guehi wanted to stay and was happy to stay."

While Guehi will remain a Palace player until the end of the season at least, there is every chance the 24-year-old departs south London this summer, and there could be reason to believe that another marquee offer from Spurs will be more tempting.

Will Tottenham sign Guehi this summer?

However, unfortunately for Ange Postecoglou and co, they may have missed the boat when it comes to striking an agreement for Guehi's services.

According to journalist Dean Jones, speaking on the GiveMeSport YouTube channel, Guehi is actually more likely to join Chelsea than Tottenham.

“I had some scepticism when I first saw they went in for him. I’d heard nothing about it. At Tottenham I have some reasonable contacts, but it wasn’t something I’d heard before all of this,” Jones said.

“They probably sensed that this was their big chance to go and do it because the likelihood is that Marc Guehi would choose to go to Chelsea, I’ve heard that for a long time now, and that will probably still be the case if Guehi leaves Crustal Palace at the end of the season then that’s where he ends up.”