Manchester United have ‘contacted’ Bayern Munich over a possible deal to sign Mathys Tel ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, according to German transfer expert Florian Plettenberg.
Tel is arguably the most sought-after talent in the January transfer window, with several clubs—particularly in the Premier League—locked in a tug-of-war for his signature. The likes of Tottenham, Arsena, Chelsea, Aston Villa and United have all reportedly shown interest, with Spurs reportedly agreeing a big-money fee with Bayern.
However, it appears the Red Devils are hoping to hijack Tottenham’s proposed deal and edge out their rivals for the Frenchman’s signature.
As per Plettenberg, Man Utd have now ‘contacted’ Bayern regarding a loan move to bring Tel to Old Trafford. The club are hoping to bide their time for the transfer, as any move hinges on the possible departures of Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford.
United and Bayern have a mutual understanding about Tel’s preference for a loan move, as per the report, which could hand Ruben Amorim’s side a slight advantage in the race for the France U21 star.
However, the Red Devils still face significant competition from Premier League rivals Tottenham, who have presented an offer and are waiting for Tel’s decision, having made him their ‘desired target’ this winter, according to the transfer expert.
Tel to United
The futures of Garnacho and Rashford hang in the balance with both players attracting significant interest this winter.
It’s easy to tell United need adequate replacements for either forward should they depart, which is why they have now turned their attention to Tel, who is valued at €30m (£25m) by Transfermarkt.
The 22-year-old has not played much since his move to Bayern, but that is understandable considering he was predominantly used as a backup to one of the world’s best and indispensable centre-forwards, Harry Kane, by Thomas Tuchel.
This season, he has found playing time even more difficult to come by with only 458 minutes of football this season.
Regardless, his abilities and potential to develop into an even better player are glaring, which is why he’s highly sought after.
It will be interesting to see if United’s loan bargain will come to fruition, especially when Spurs are reportedly offering big money for the youngster.
