New Delhi: Bayern Munich have been credited with grooming a lot of young stars on their books with the likes of Manuel Neuer, Joshua Kimmich, Alphonso Davies, and Kingsley Coman, all joining the club at a young age before becoming world beaters in their position. They have another such young star on their books in but it seems like his future now lies away from the Allianz Arena after getting frustrated with not getting enough minutes.
French youngster Mathys Tel is a highly rated 19-year-old attacker who has attracted interest from all over Europe this January. The young Frenchman joined the Bavarians in the summer of 2022 from French outfit Rennes after he became the youngest player in the French club’s history to make an appearance for them. He moved to Bayern to huge fanfare and seemed like becoming the club’s long term successor to the then-departing Robert Lewandowski.
His career started well at the Allianz Arena quickly making records for the club in his first few appearances. He became the third youngest player to ever debut for Bayern Munich and became their youngest ever goal scorer at 17 years and 126 days during their 5-0 win over Viktoria Cologne in the DFB-Pokal in 2022. He followed that up by fetching another record to his name, becoming the club’s youngest ever goal scorer in the Bundesliga as well, scoring on his full Bundesliga debut against VfB Stuttgart.
Who is Mathys Tel, the French attacker on Chelsea’s radar?
Born in Sarcelles, a suburb of Paris, Tel developed his game at various local clubs before joining the prestigious Clairefontaine academy, the same one responsible for stars like Thierry Henry, Nicholas Anelka, William Gallas, and the current poster boy of French football, Kylian Mbappe. His breakthrough came at Rennes, where he became the club’s youngest-ever player at 16 years, three months, and 19 days, making his debut in a 1-1 draw against Brest in August 2021.
His performances at youth level, particularly as captain of the France U17 team that won the European Championship in 2022, further solidified his reputation. He has had a curious career so far as the 19-year-old started his career all the way back in the center of defense due to his defensive acumen and reading of the game. However, his technical skills and attacking instincts made him a natural fit for a more advanced role.
📊 | Mathys Tel at Bayern:
🏟️ 82 games
⚽️ 16 goals
🅰️ 7 assists
⏱️ A goal/assist every 104 minutes pic.twitter.com/ZQXU8SuQYL— Bayern & Football (@MunichFanpage) January 28, 2025
A versatile player who is capable of playing anywhere in attack, his adaptability allows him to thrive as a winger in a 4-3-3 system or as a center-forward, where his finishing ability and positional intelligence shine. His versatility has likened him to French superstar Kylian Mbappe, given his explosive pace, dribbling ability, and eye for goal. Early on in his career, he has also been compared with legendary former Arsenal and Barcelona striker Thierry Henry, showcasing his potential.
A forward for most part of his young career, he has been a floater for Bayern Munich in the limited appearances he has made for the club till now. He’s spent equal time of his career either playing up front or on the left side of attack and has sometime played on the right flank as well. He’s been most prolific till now while playing off the left flank but one of his key strengths is his ability to adapt to any role.
Why does Mathys Tel want to leave Bayern Munich?
The youngster joined Bayern Munich to much fanfare in the summer of 2022 but has since found game time hard to come by. His debut campaign with the club saw him feature 28 times as a 17-year old, during which he scored six goals but it yielded only 600 minutes in all competitions. Last season was a bit of a breakthrough for the Frenchman as he scored 10 goals for the club and also provided six assists in all competitions.
He made 41 appearances for the club but took the field for less than 15oo minutes in those appearances with his game time being reduced due to the emergence of Jamal Musiala and the arrival of Harry Kane. Tel played only six games as a striker due to Kane’s presence and that has affected him even more. Bayern went ahead and brought in another Frenchman in Michael Olise in the summer which provides even more competition to Tel.
🚨🇫🇷 Mathys Tel’s decision to leave Bayern exclusively revealed last night has opened doors to several clubs.
Chelsea are still there since the beginning of January…
…while more top Premier League clubs are also keen and in active contact now. Race open. pic.twitter.com/KvzNCgaKy2
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 29, 2025
With Musiala, Olise, and Kane all ahead of Tel in the pecking order, he has barely had any game time this season, making only eight appearances in the league, starting only twice. In his 13 appearances in all competitions, he’s played less than 400 minutes, with zero minutes being given to him in the last three games. This has frustrated the 19-year-old and he has now demanded a move away from the club.
It is reported that the youngster has as many as seven proposals from different clubs to take him on loan, which includes clubs in the Premier League and across Europe. English giants Chelsea are also amongst those interested in the Frenchman and are looking to acquire his services of a permanent basis in this window as they look to increase competition for Nico Jackson. With Bayern Munich’s reported interest in Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku as well, a deal could be done between the two sides before this transfer window slams shut on Monday.
The 19-year-old French attacker has been attracting interest from multiple clubs across Europe including many Premier League outfits but who is the Frenchman and why is he in huge demand. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
