Spurs Closing In on Permanent Deal for Mathys Tel

Tottenham Hotspur are on the verge of making Mathys Tel their first permanent signing of the summer — and of the Thomas Frank era — with a deal close to being finalised with Bayern Munich.

The 20-year-old French forward joined Spurs in January on a €10 million loan from Bayern and, while he wasn’t a guaranteed starter, he did show flashes of promise in his short spell in north London. Tel featured in 13 Premier League matches, starting 11 of them, and chipped in with two goals. He also made 20 appearances in total across all competitions under Ange Postecoglou, though he was an unused substitute during Spurs’ memorable Europa League final win over Manchester United — their first piece of silverware in 17 years. 

Now, Spurs are ready to make the move permanent. According to reports, they’re set to pay an additional €35 million (£29.8 million) to complete the transfer, bringing the total package to €45 million. While they initially had a buy option around that figure, Spurs were always hoping to negotiate a better deal — and it looks like Bayern have agreed, partly because they need to raise funds for summer reinforcements. BILD reports that the clubs are close to finalising the terms, with Tel expected to commit to Spurs in the coming days. 

The groundwork for the deal was laid before Thomas Frank’s arrival, but the Danish manager has reportedly given the green light for the club to push ahead. Frank officially took charge on Thursday, replacing Postecoglou on a three-year deal, and is already making moves to shape the squad in his image. 

One of his next targets is Bryan Mbeumo — a player Frank knows extremely well. The Cameroonian forward was a key part of Frank’s Brentford side, scoring 70 goals in 242 appearances since arriving from Troyes in 2019. Mbeumo had a standout Premier League season last term, bagging 20 goals, and while Manchester United are also interested, Spurs hope Frank’s influence can help seal the deal. Frank won’t be the only familiar face Mbeumo would see at Spurs, either. Three members of his Brentford coaching team have also followed him to north London. 

As for Tel, the young Frenchman is currently away with the national team at the Under-21 European Championship in Slovakia. He started in France’s goalless draw with Portugal on Wednesday, a match that also featured another Spurs winger, Wilson Odobert. The French side faces Georgia on Saturday in Zilina as they look to build momentum in the group stage.  

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