Mathys Tel sends transfer message to Man Utd and Arsenal after Tottenham rejection
Bayern Munich striker Mathys Tel rejected a move to Tottenham on Friday after the clubs agreed a £50million transfer fee, giving Manchester United and Arsenal an opportunity to capitalise
by Nathan Ridley · The MirrorMathys Tel is ready to join either Manchester United or Arsenal after rejecting Tottenham.
Tel, 19, snubbed Spurs on Friday, despite Bayern Munich accepting a £50million offer for the striker, who held face-to-face talks with chairman Daniel Levy in Germany before informing Tottenham of his decision. That's left United and Arsenal in a two-horse race to sign Tel, who's upset with his lack of game-time at Bayern.
The France under-21 international moved to Munich from Rennes in 2022 for £23.8m but has spent most of his time playing second fiddle to England captain Harry Kane. Chelsea and Aston Villa have dropped their interest- the Blues looking at other targets, Villa turning to Marcus Rashford, leaving United and Arsenal as the only two clubs still in the running to sign him before the transfer window slams shut at 11pm on Monday.
Tel was left out of Bayern's squad to face Holstein Kiel in the Bundesliga on Saturday, having been handed a rare start during Wednesday's 3-1 Champions League win against Slovan Bratislava. The 19-year-old went into the game looking for his first goal of the season but failed to hit the back of the net in his 62 minutes on the pitch.
Post-match, Bayern's director of sport, Max Eberl, revealed that Tel had initially planned to fight for his place under manager Vincent Kompany but has since changed his mind.
"Mathys decided at the time [in December] that he wanted to stay, that he wanted to assert himself. Now Mathys comes along and says that he can imagine doing something," Eberl explained. "And now we have to think about what we are going to do, whether we are going to do it. The playing time is not satisfactory for him, and that is understandable.
"It is now the end of January and now it is more difficult for everyone involved. We have to see what is ultimately best for everyone involved, for Mathys and for Bayern Munich."
Which club should Mathys Tel join - Man Utd or Arsenal? Give us your pick in the comments section.
Kompany, who insists that his decision to start Tel wasn't based on ulterior motives, told reporters: "I have nothing to say about that at the moment. Mathys is our player. We are in close contact with him and his agents. Christoph [Freund] or Max can say more about what happens in the next few hours or days."
Tel would fulfil United and Arsenal's shared desire to sign a new striker. Arsenal saw their £60m bid for Villa striker Ollie Watkins turned down earlier this week while United's two options, Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, both haven't scored a goal in 2025.
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