Less than three days after Thomas Frank was confirmed at the new manager of Tottenham Hotspur, the north London outfit have officially sealed a permanent deal for Mathys Tel.
Despite only showing flashes of his undoubted talent, Spurs have tied Tel down to a contract which runs until the summer of 2031. Based upon reports on the eve of the club’s official confirmation, Tottenham have managed to negotiate a discounted fee for the forward, with a reported €35 million (£29.8 million, $40.4 million) committed to Tel.
The French forward arrived from Bayern Munich on loan at the end of the winter window under the watchful gaze of Frank’s predecessor, Ange Postecoglou. The complicated arrangement had reportedly hit several hurdles during extensive negotiations, with several outlets claiming that Tel had rejected a straightforward, full transfer to Spurs back in January after a face-to-face meeting with chairman Daniel Levy.
A half-season loan with the option to buy was eventually agreed by all parties, however, Postecoglou was always confident that the highly rated young forward would remain in the capital beyond the end of the campaign. “He will be a Tottenham player,” the Australian coach declared in February. “I think he will show everyone he will be a Tottenham player in the next six months. I didn’t bring him here for six months.”
Not for the first time, Postecoglou was proven right—even if he didn't last longer than six months.
Tel found the net on his first start for Spurs—nabbing a late consolation in a 2–1 FA Cup defeat to Aston Villa—but was limited to just two goals in 13 Premier League appearances across the second half of the campaign. As Postecoglou unashamedly switched focus to the Europa League, Tel was limited to cameo roles in the continental competition—at best. The 20-year-old didn’t even get off the bench as Spurs eked out a 1–0 victory over Manchester United in a triumphant final.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Thomas Frank Welcomes First Permanent Signing of Tottenham Tenure.
