Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi’s stance on the future of their French winger, Mathys Tel, after a recent bust-up.
Roberto De Zerbi will block any approaches for Mathys Tel during the January transfer window and keep the forward at Tottenham, according to a report by Football Insider.
Tel’s position at Spurs came under scrutiny after an apparent bust-up with De Zerbi during their goalless draw against Everton last weekend. The Tottenham manager was seen remonstrating with the Frenchman on the pitch, raising questions about the relationship between the pair and whether the incident could lead to an exit.
De Zerbi, however, later played down the situation and explained that he was simply showing Tel how he wanted him to position his body when playing as a striker rather than as a winger.
Despite that explanation, Tel’s future has continued to attract attention ahead of the January transfer window. Several clubs across Europe are understood to be keeping tabs on the 21-year-old, particularly after he was left out of Tottenham’s squad for their Premier League meeting with Aston Villa on Saturday.
Tottenham and De Zerbi will be back Tel
However, the Tottenham boss will give the Frenchman plenty of opportunities to rediscover his form, with the club’s lack of depth in the final third making him an important option for the remainder of the season.
He has started five of Spurs’ first seven matches this season, although his performances have not yet translated into goals or assists. Tottenham have also endured a difficult start to the campaign, adding further pressure on De Zerbi and his attacking players.
Tel has recorded 11 goal contributions in 64 appearances since arriving at the club. Those numbers are yet to reflect the potential he showed as a highly-rated young forward, but Tottenham continue to believe there is plenty more to come from the youngster they signed permanently last summer from Bayern Munich for £30 million.
The French winger can operate across the front line and has previously shown an ability to play both centrally and from the left. That flexibility could prove particularly valuable to De Zerbi given Tottenham’s recent struggles.
