Thomas Frank (52), who recently took the helm at Tottenham Hotspur, is expected to make Mathis Tel (20) his first signing.
'The Guardian' reported on the 15th (Korea time) that "Tottenham Hotspur is set to sign Mathis Tel for a transfer fee of about €35 million (approximately 55.3 billion won).
The outlet noted that "the contract is expected to be finalized within the next 48 hours, and Tottenham has previously paid €10 million in loan fees to Bayern Munich to acquire Tel on loan. Including the €10 million paid at that time, the aggregates will total €45 million (approximately 71 billion won).
Tel is a versatile attacking player with quick feet and ambidextrous finishing ability, having shown potential on the adult stage despite his young age. However, his physical utilization as a forward is low, and he lacks dribbling retention and speed maintenance in one-on-one situations on the wing.
He possesses advantages in space penetration and individual breakthroughs but needs tactical refinement in participating in defensive transitions, organic linking with teammates, and passing selection skills. Overall, he is a player with significant room for development, and if he clarifies his positional role and addresses his weaknesses, he could be a contender for a starting position. He is also mentioned as a potential successor to Son Heung-min.
'The Guardian' reported that "Tel has appeared in 13 league matches (11 of which were starts), scoring 2 goals but did not play in the final against Manchester United in which the team won the UEFA Europa League. This victory marked Tottenham's first major trophy in 17 years.
The outlet continued, "Tel is set to become the first signing under the new manager Thomas Frank, but the groundwork for this contract was already completed before Frank's appointment. Frank is also considering a reunion with Bryan Mbeumo, whom he worked with during his time at Brentford. Brentford has valued Mbeumo at over £60 million (approximately 111.4 billion won), but Tottenham has not yet made an official offer.
Mbeumo has been a key player since Brentford acquired him from Troyes for approximately £5.8 million (about 10.8 billion won) in August 2019 when the team was in the Championship. Manchester United has also shown interest in acquiring Mbeumo, having had a £55 million (approximately 102 billion won) proposal rejected. Brentford is not in a hurry to sell.
The outlet added, "Tottenham expects Manager Frank to play a crucial role in persuading Mbeumo."
Meanwhile, Tel is currently representing France in the UEFA U-21 European Championship being held in Slovakia. He started in the group stage match that ended in a 0-0 draw against Portugal last Wednesday, and his Tottenham teammate, Wilson Odobert, played the full-time match. France will face Georgia in the next game.
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