OSS-ED: Making the Case for Mathys Tel

After spending all January chasing his signature, getting Mathys Tel through the doors of Hotspur Way felt like a coup for Spurs. A massive talent and only 19-years-old at the time, it felt like Tel just needed game time to explode at his next club. During the 23/24 season, a series of electric cameos from the bench landed him at a goal or assist every 88 minutes for Bayern. But heading into his third season at Die Roten, things had shifted. New manager Vincent Kompany had entered the fray, and brought in signings like €60m gem Michael Olise. At a time where Tel might’ve hoped to continue his growth, his minutes played were only decreasing. When the opportunity to move on came mid-season, the Frenchman clearly felt a new chapter was the right step. 

Even prior to their inquiries in January, Daniel Levy and Spurs’ admiration of Mathys Tel was no secret: the youngster’s name was brought up during negotiations for Harry Kane, but quickly waved away by Bayern executives (as per Matt Law of The Telegraph). Upon discovering his availability more than a year later, Spurs quickly earmarked him alongside Randal Kolo-Muani as their top target during the winter window. 

Initially their efforts fell embarrassingly short, as Daniel Levy and sporting director Johan Lange rushed to Germany to pitch their project only to be rejected. But mere days later, after an unsurprisingly convincing phone call with Ange Postecoglou, Mathys Tel signed onto a 6-month loan with an option to make his stay permanent at the end of the season. It’s worth noting Tel had no shortage of competing offers: he had also declined proposals from Manchester United and Chelsea before joining Ange’s Lilywhites.

After being taken on quite the roller coaster ride in the Tel saga, a sigh of relief spread through Spurs fans who were starting to wonder whether anyone would be signed to help Ange’s depleted squad. A squad that had more bodies in the recovery room than in training at the time. In case you’ve now blocked it from your memory (I know I have) here’s a refresher on the injury crisis Spurs were in upon Tel’s arrival: 10 injured players, six of whom would start in Postecoglou’s preferred XI (van de Ven, Romero, Udogie, Vicario, Maddison, Solanke). With one striker already out long-term, it didn’t help to see Richarlison go down holding his calf halfway through Tel’s first game in the matchday squad. Tel started the next five games, and exceeded his minutes total from the first half of the season in less than a quarter of the time. 

When analyzing Mathys Tel’s first half-season as a Tottenham player, it’s important that this context is provided: he went from four starts in six months to the only fit striker at a top six club in the Premier League. As far as tests go, this was a bar exam for a footballer. He did contribute a goal early on with a lovely sliding finish against Villa, but it took more than two months for him to register his second. Clearly the difference in physicality from the Bundesliga to the Premier League required getting used to. Perhaps an even more awkward transition, though, was learning the specific roles Ange utilizes for his attackers. The team’s striker is tasked with holding the line, pressing aggressively and often using strength to hold off defenders. Despite his willingness to press and quality in link-up play, this was evidently not an optimal use of Tel’s abilities. On the other hand, Ange wingers stay high and wide in order to beat their fullback and drive toward the byline. In viewing his early performance for Spurs, Mathys Tel looked stuck between two extremes. He’s a direct-to-goal forward, terrifying for defenders but often closer to the 18-yard line rather than stranded out wide. Whether he’s granted more positional freedom next season (providing he’s at Spurs) remains to be seen, but regardless it’s important to allow time for players to carve out their role in a new setting with new teammates.

While he’s clearly still adjusting to life at Spurs, Tel has undoubtedly added a new dimension to his team’s attack with his shot-getting and creativity. Looking at Spurs attackers with 10+ starts this season, Tel is top three for both shot-creating actions p90 and carries into the final third p90 (Stathead/FBRef). He’s constantly looked to drive at defenses, and shown a direct-to-goal approach Spurs have missed at times under Ange. Though these are raw attributes from a young player, his underlying numbers are showing significant progression. Through his first seven starts, Tel registered 0.27 expected goals and assists (xG + xA) p90. Through the latter six games of his season though, that figure had grown 59% to 0.43 p90 (Stathead/FBRef). There are encouraging signs, both from the eye test and the data, that Mathys Tel could grow into a massive contributor to Spurs’ attack. 

While he took time adjusting to life on the pitch for Tottenham, arguably Mathys Tel’s most impressives trait has been his mentality. His team won just 3 of 13 league matches in the second half of their campaign, form met with intense criticism by travelling and home support. Instead of cowering from the abuse, Tel engaged with fans directly to express his team’s desire to improve. He often looked to motivate the crowd to get behind the team in difficult and positive moments, and consistently ran himself into the ground in an effort to inject energy into his side. Tel recognizes that Spurs fans are the lifeblood of the club, a clear contributor to why so many would like to see him continue his journey in North London. 

Reflecting on Mathys Tel’s journey at Spurs so far, it’s understandable why opinions are mixed throughout the fanbase. He’s struggled at times to contribute goals and assists, and looked raw in a lot of his decision making. Yet, a look into his underlying numbers paints a promising picture of the player he can develop into. This is an attacker that will get the fans on their feet, gee supporters up in difficult moments, and provide glimpses of magic on the ball. A player who, despite joining during an injury crisis and a tense situation with the fans, immersed himself in life at White Hart Lane and continued his development in the process. It’s that combination of passion and quality that every top club is after.