Who is Mathys Tel? Here is everything you need to know about Tottenham’s potential new striker

Tottenham have made a major coup on transfer deadline day after Bayern Munich forward Mathys Tel reportedly agreed to join the club on loan until the end of the season. 

The move comes as a shock given that Tel was seemingly happy to remain in Germany despite interest in his services from a number of Premier League clubs. 

Spurs’ north London rivals Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea were all reportedly interested in the Frenchman – but he is said to have opted for the Lillywhites after a great deal of deliberation. 

According to Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg, Tel has now flown to England – where he landed at Farnborough airport in Hampshire – along with his agent Gadiri Camara. 

So what attributes in his game should Spurs fans be looking out for were he to put pen to paper and why was he coveted by Europe’s top clubs? 

Read on below for everything you need to know about Mathys Tel. 

Tel appears to have chosen Tottenham on the basis that he would be assured of minutes more regularly under Ange Postecoglou than anywhere else

Who is Mathys Tel?

Tel began his career with Ligue 1 side Rennes, where he would impress coaches to such an extent that he became the club’s youngest ever player when making his debut aged 16 in 2021.

He was also part of the French national team that lifted the U17s Euros title in 2022.

His performances caught the attention of Bundesliga heavyweights Bayern – who forked out a sizeable £23.6million to sign the youngster. 

While he has made 60 appearances for Bayern, he has seen his playing time decrease dramatically following the departure of Thomas Tuchel. 

However, he still managed to net 10 goals in 41 games throughout the 2023-24 campaign – one of which came against Manchester United in the Champions League.

Goals have been harder to come by for the Frenchman in this campaign, as he has not found the net in 14 games so far to date. 

Mail Sport’s Sami Mokbel previously revealed the five-way race to sign Tel, noting that he appeared to wave goodbye to Bayern fans on Wednesday night after their 3-1 Champions League win over Slovan Bratislava. 

While he has made 60 appearances for Bayern, he has seen his playing time decrease dramatically following the departure of Thomas Tuchel

That saw the 19-year-old climb over the advertising hoardings to hand his training jacket to a home fan and shake hands with others.

‘We spoke in December, and Mathys said he wanted to assert himself,’ explained Bayern sporting director Max Eberl.

‘Now he has said he would like to leave, we have to consider whether we will do it and what we will do.’

Tel appears to have chosen Tottenham on the basis that he would be assured of minutes more regularly under Postecoglou than anywhere else – having been a largely peripheral figure in Munich.