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It's never wise to read too much into pre-season form, yet there's been plenty to like about Mathys Tel's Tottenham Hotspur displays on tour.
It feels like it could be a big year for the young Frenchman, following a muted first 18 months in English football, with Roberto De Zerbi seemingly the perfect coach to unlock his sky-high potential.
Against Auckland FC, for instance, the 21-year-old burst down the left flank to tee up Richarlison, while against Sydney FC, Tel scored Spurs' only goal of the game with a stunning, dipping free-kick from range.
REUTERS/Hollie Adams
Yes, it was hardly elite opposition, but those flashes of quality showcase what the former Bayern Munich man can offer in the upcoming campaign. Will De Zerbi give him the chance to shine?
What De Zerbi has said about Mathys Tel at SpursThe end of last season perhaps doesn't provide too great a picture of what De Zerbi's starting lineup will look like in 2026/27, particularly with the Italian so short on attacking depth and quality due to injury.
Even so, it was still telling that Tel started all four of the last four games of the campaign, amid the bid for Premier League survival, having also replaced compatriot Randal Kolo Muani at the break in the prior win away at Molineux.
Speaking upon taking the role, the former Marseille boss had admitted that he "wanted" to sign the youngster during his time in charge in France, seemingly while Tel was at Bayern.
Most Succ. Dribbles at Spurs - 25/26*
Player
Record (per game)
Kudus
2.7
Tel
1.3
Spence
1.1
Odobert
1.0
Simons
1.0
Kolo Muani
0.9
Bentancur
0.8
Bergvall
0.7
Porro
0.6
Sarr
0.5
*Premier League
The versatile forward had been snapped up by the Bavarian giants as a mere teenager after bursting onto the scene at Stade Rennais, ultimately scoring 12 goals in his 60 games in the Bundesliga.
Since moving to north London in January 2025, he's only netted six times in 44 league games, although De Zerbi clearly sees a player in there, as he explained earlier this week:
"One season more experience, he has big, big talent, an important player. We have the responsibility to help him improve every day."
The future currently looks bright for Tel after a difficult last year or so, yet would further incomings serve to dampen any hopes af a prominent role this season?
Latest on Spurs' search for new signingsIt's been said chapter and verse that Manchester City's Savinho is a leading target, with the Brazilian seemingly incredibly keen to make the switch to N17.
That deal appears to be being delayed by City's need to find a replacement, although in any case, the belief is that there will be at least one more attacking arrival, alongside the 22-year-old.
That player might well be Cody Gakpo, with Spurs' interest in the Dutchman seemingly reciprocated, according to reports.
Indeed, as per one trusted Tottenham insider, the 27-year-old "wants to join Spurs" this summer, with Liverpool open to a sale if they can first secure a new arrival of their own.
That development would suggest that Gakpo remains a very real possibility, as the former PSV Eindhoven man "doesn't intend to stay at Liverpool beyond the summer".
As a forward who can play off the left or through the middle, the £70m-rated star would certainly have his merits, but what might that mean for Tel?
Gakpo's best work for club and country has come when cutting in from that left flank, notably scoring three goals even as the Netherlands crashed out at the round of 32 stage at the World Cup.
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↩ Play againWhile Tel has shown he can operate on the right - memorably supplying the assist for Kolo Muani's header against Atletico Madrid from that side - he too is at his best down that left flank, ensuring he could have a fight on his hands for a starting berth.
The potential future role of Savinho remains uncertain, considering he can play on both sides, but the consensus is that the former Girona man might also end up on the left, having been likened to Gareth Bale by analyst and Como scout Ben Mattinson for the manner in which he can finish on his favoured left foot from that side.
That might well mean two new arrivals who threaten Tel's place on the flanks, and while increased depth and quality are certainly needed, it may only inhibit this undoubtedly talented young forward.
He's "Jermain Defoe-esque", in the view of presenter Ben Bowman, someone with elite potential who can be so deadly in front of goal, as seen in the 2023/24 season, in which he scored at a rate of one goal every 149 minutes in the Bundesliga.
But if Spurs are to fork out a sizeable fee for Gakpo - likely to be in the region of £70m by all accounts - it's difficult to see what Tel's role will be moving forward.
It's a summer that's already seen Luka Vuskovic sold on, with Lucas Bergvall set to follow - can ENIC consider potentially threatening another rising star in the form of Tel?
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