Bayern Munich wonderkid Mathys Tel is waiting to see if Arsenal or Manchester United formalise their interest in his services before making a final decision on his destination, according to Daily Mail journalist Sami Mokbel.
The 19-year-old started in Bayern’s 3-1 win over Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday night. Following the game, the Frenchman was spotted waving goodbye to the fans at the Allianz Arena.
Bayern director Max Eberl has confirmed that the forward wants to leave and Mokbel reports that Arsenal and United could be front-runners to land his signature from the German giants.
Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea have shown the firmest interest in the attacker. However, ‘sources close to the situation’ say that Tel is waiting to hear from Arsenal or United before making a final decision.
It is added that the teenager would like to know the level of assurances in terms of playing opportunities from either club before deciding on his next challenge away from the Bundesliga.
Arsenal could have an edge over United in Tel pursuit
The Rennes graduate can play across the attack. He is most efficient from the left wing but has also impressed from the centre-forward role during his time at the Bavarian giants.
In our view, the youngster may struggle for minutes from the left flank with competition from Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, but he could have opportunities elsewhere.
Ethan Nwaneri excelled on the right wing at Girona, but manager Mikel Arteta may want competition in the department with Bukayo Saka sidelined until March after hamstring surgery.
Meanwhile, the club desperately need another option to lead the attack. There has been an overreliance on Kai Havertz, who looked jaded at the end against Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend.
The German got a much-needed breather with a substitute role in midweek, but Arsenal definitely need another choice up front with Gabriel Jesus out with a serious knee injury.
With Tel’s immense potential, he could become a regular starter ahead of Havertz, who has been prone to missing clear-cut chances lately. We believe Arsenal could have an edge over United.
They are playing in the Champions League, which is a major attraction. At United, Tel may have to compete for places with Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee for the number nine role.
On top of this, he may have to adapt to the wing-back position as manager Ruben Amorim prefers two attacking midfielders in a 3-4-2-1 formation. Arsenal have the better project for his development.
It will be interesting to see whether Arsenal make an approach for Tel, who has been described as a ‘superb finisher‘ by Thomas Muller.
