Tottenham Hotspur transfer targets Mathys Tel and Fikayo Tomori are causing problems by preferring no transfer at all to joining Ange Postecoglou’s side.
Bayern Munich forward Mathys Tel has been linked with plenty of Premier League clubs lately, with Arsenal reportedly among those interested in a late move for him. But Tottenham Hotspur were certainly in the lead until Friday, with Daniel Levy flying to Germany to try and get the deal done.
Bayern had reportedly reached a £50m verbal agreement for a permanent transfer for the striker, yet it all fell apart when Tel himself had to decide whether to move to Spurs.
Sky Germany report that Tel wasn’t convinced by Spurs’ project, and he didn’t feel it was the right step for him. Tel has been keen on a January move, but he told Bayern that if his only two options were to sign for Spurs or stay at Bayern, he’d rather not make a transfer at all.
Spurs moved on to Fikayo Tomori, given they also have a pressing need for defensive reinforcements, but again they’re facing difficulties.
Fabrizio Romano reports that AC Milan are pushing to seal Tomori’s sale to Spurs, but it’s evidently Tomori they need to convince. Luca Bendoni and Gianluca Di Marzio report that the player wants to stay, isn’t open to a transfer to Spurs, and is focused on Milan’s next game.
Arsenal have no direct stake in the Tomori deal, but they might raise their eyebrows at Tel rejecting Spurs. Given the Gunners’ need for a forward addition before Monday’s deadline, a move for the Bayern man could make sense.
That move would require Tel to reject a few other options though, given Chelsea, Manchester United, and Aston Villa have also been linked with interest. It looks like this one is going down to the wire.
19-year-old Tel has played just 458 minutes for Bayern this season, providing one assist. The forward scored or assisted 16 goals in 1,406 minutes last season, but it seems his form is starting to suffer for his inconsistent gametime.
As well as playing at centre-forward, Tel can also operate on the wings, so he’d make a versatile addition if Arsenal can get it done.