Manchester United will get a “second chance” to sign Mathys Tel this summer as the French starlet was “certainly open to a move” to Old Trafford in January, according to German football expert.
A red-hot transfer race emerged for Tel at the end of the winter window after the 19-year-old pushed for a shock exit from Bayern Munich.
The versatile attacker had grown increasingly frustrated at the lack of first-team opportunities under Die Roten manager Vincent Kompany.
And Tel instructed his representatives to look for a move away from the Allianz Arena, with a host of clubs across Europe expressing an interest in the highly-rated youngster.
United wanted to sign the Frenchman on loan to buttress Ruben Amorim’s misfiring forward line. The club’s finances would not enable a transfer, though Old Trafford officials were open to a buy clause in the deal to enable a permanent move come the summer.
However, it was Premier League rival Tottenham Hotspur who clinched the deal for Tel, agreeing to pay a €10 million loan fee. United are reported to have walked away from negotiations with the fee at just €5 million, underscoring the Lilywhites’ willingness to secure Bayern star.
Spurs have a buy-option in the agreement for Tel, though the 19-year-old retains autonomy to end the loan deal if he chooses.
And, despite having just arrived in North London, Bundesliga expert Christian Falk reveals Tel would push for a move to Manchester in the summer if the opportunity presented itself.
“Whether Tel stays with Bayern beyond the summer or moves on, it’s entirely up to him. If he can make the step to United, he would like to do it,” Falk states
The reporter also contends a return to the Allianz Arena is possible, though less likely than a permanent exit: “If he sees a chance at Bayern Munich, perhaps he would also stay, but I think it’s hard for him, as he didn’t make it under Vincent Kompany.”
Falk concludes, “So, I think if he is performing very well, he will stay in the Premier League.”
The Red Devils hold a long-standing interest in Tel as the youngster has been a player on the club’s radar since he emerged in France for Ligue 1 side Rennes. There was an approach last year over a potential move, which was rebuffed, and then rekindled last month after Tel’s unexpected push to leave.
If United sense the possibility of another return for the French starlet, it will be difficult for the club’s hierarchy to resist, particularly given the ongoing issues in the forward positions at Old Trafford.
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
