One Tottenham attacker is exploring options away from N17 in search of regular game time ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Tottenham Hotspur have an agreement in place to sign left-back Souza from Brazilian club Santos. The deal is yet to be completed, though the two sides have agreed on a fee for the teenage defender, who is expected to undergo a medical in the coming days. Should Souza pass his medical tests and subsequently sign on the dotted lines, he will become the Lilywhites’ first signing of the January transfer window.
Spurs have primarily focused on departures in this winter transfer window thus far. They have recalled a fair few young talents from loan spells and sent them out on loan again for the remainder of the season, whilst surprising the fans by selling Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace last week.
The atmosphere at Tottenham has been far from ideal for some time. This has led to Micky van de Ven wanting to end his time in N17 in the summer. As per the latest reports, the Dutchman would ‘welcome’ a move to Barcelona. There is another player who is eyeing an exit from the club, but now for a different reason.
Tottenham hesitant to sanction Mathys Tel’s exit
Mathys Tel was signed on a permanent deal from Bayern Munich in the summer following his impactful stint at Tottenham in the second half of last season. The Hotspur Way bosses felt they had secured the services of a talented player with huge potential, one that Thomas Frank could get the best out of in the coming years.
However, it appears that Frank has struggled to fit the France youth international into his system. Mathys Tel was also left out of the Champions League squad for the first part of the league phase, indicating that he was not part of the Danish tactician’s immediate plans. He has also not enjoyed regular minutes in the Premier League under Frank. Thus, it is little surprise that the 20-year-old wants to leave Tottenham on loan this month.
A report from BBC Sport suggests that Tel is fed up with his lack of playing time and wants to leave Spurs to save his season. The forward thinks he needs to play regularly if he wants to break into France’s senior squad ahead of the summer’s World Cup.
However, according to reliable RMC Sport journalist Fabrice Hawkins, Tottenham could hold firm as they are not keen on sanctioning an exit for Tel in this transfer window, even on a loan deal.
There are reasons behind the north London club’s thinking. While Tel is within his rights to demand a temporary move away from N17, it is worth noting that Spurs sold Johnson to Palace last week and are yet to replace him in Frank’s squad. In addition, Frank has lost Kudus for a few months to a quad injury, further depleting the attacking options at his disposal.
It looks unlikely Tottenham will allow Tel to depart. The situation is fragile at the moment, and the young forward must view the departure of Johnson and Kudus’ injury as an opening to lock his position in Frank’s first XI. The good thing is the Sarcelles-born talent has started the last two league games and performed well, even scoring in the 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth.
