Mathys Tel will join Tottenham Hotspur permanently after his loan from Bayern Munich ends this season, manager Ange Postecoglou said ahead of the second leg of their League Cup semifinal at Liverpool on Thursday.
Tel joined Bayern from Stade Rennes in 2022 on a four-year deal and extended his contract to 2029 in March last year. He has scored 16 goals in 83 appearances for the German club, but has struggled to find a place in the starting side.
Tel made 14 appearances for Bayern this season but failed to score. Postecoglou said the 19-year-old would play a significant role at Spurs this season and beyond, adding that Tel is eager to make a lasting impact in the team.
"Tel will be a Tottenham player. I think he will show everyone he will be a Tottenham player in the next six months. I didn't bring him here for six months," the Australian coach told reporters on Wednesday.
Asked how he convinced Tel to join his side on deadline day, Postecoglou said, "It is not about smooth talking or selling. There is a good story here that I really believe in."
Spurs have been busy in the mid-season transfer window, signing young players like Tel, 26-year-old defender Kevin Danso and 21-year-old goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky to bolster their injury-depleted squad.
"(In) all these decisions, I'm as much a driver as the club. No one has been thrust upon me who I don't think is going to fit," Postecoglou added.
🚨🎙️| Ange Postecoglou on Mathys Tel
— The Spurs Express (@TheSpursExpress) February 5, 2025
“He'll be a Tottenham player, mate. He'll be a Tottenham player… I didn't bring him here for six months.” pic.twitter.com/fWoiGV9qJa
Pressure is mounting on Postecoglou as Spurs sit 14th in the Premier League, having managed one win in 11 league games before Sunday's crucial 2-0 victory at Brentford.
Asked if the transfer business offered some security to his job, Postecoglou said such assurances did not exist for managers these days. "I feel like the playing group is rock solid, the staff are rock solid, I feel supported and that's all I can ask for," he added.
"Where that takes us, time will tell. I firmly believe it will take us to success. But there's no guarantees."