Arsenal Deadline Day Rumours: Can Arsenal beat Manchester United to Mathys Tel’s signature?
Mathys Tel has been the subject of persistent speculation this transfer window, but after turning down Tottenham, is he destined for the Red side of North London?
Despite scoring again yesterday, Arsenal fans are still longing for a proper replacement for Kai Havertz as their main goalscoring threat. News of a bid being rejected for Ollie Watkins last week reignited the conversation, and it now looks like in-demand Mathys Tel is on their radar as well.
The Bayern Munich forward is still a work in progress and at 19 years old, may still be one for the future. With limited chances to shine at Bayern, despite early signs of being a fantastic talent, Tel will surely be looking for starting minutes if he is to move away, and Arsenal may not offer that.
There is no doubting Tel’s potential, but he may not be the answer for Arsenal, given he is still that versatile type of forward that Arsenal have in their ranks. Tel can play anywhere across the front three, but he is predominantly used in the left wing position, where Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard are both capable of playing for Arsenal. It is the out and out striker that Arsenal fans have long been yearning for, and believe is the difference between challenging and winning the Premier League, so is Tel really the answer?
On the face of it, a move for Watkins made far more sense, as he is an out and out striker with Premier League experience, but any move for him was made tricky with the departure of backup striker, Jhon Duran.
Mathys Tel Next Club Odds
As the hours tick away, it looks less and less likely that Tel will be making a move and is 4/6 to stay with Bayern Munich for the rest of the season.
If Arsenal were to miss out on Tel and Watkins, it would be a hat-trick of failed transfers, as there approach for Benjamin Sesko was also rebuffed, with the Slovenian signing a new contract at RB Leipzig. There is no official confirmation that they have bid for Tel, but Watkins and Sesko were certainly on their wishlist.
With Manchester United’s move for the versatile Tel collapsing, it looks like Arsenal is his last remaining hope of moving to the Premier League, but the 4/1 odds suggest that this is unlikely.
Could Arsenal Sign Any Other Striker in the January Transfer Window?
With Tel 4/1 to join, and Watkins 1/20 to remain at Aston Villa, it looks increasingly unlikely that Arsenal are going to make a splash on deadline day.
Sesko putting pen to paper on a new deal doesn’t rule out a move in the future, but it suggests any move will likely come in the Summer or beyond, and will now be a more costly prospect.
While The Gunners will be desperate for a striker to spearhead a challenge, they are not a team that are going to make a rash decision, and may target long-term replacements such as Alexander Isak and Sesko again in the summer.
Arsenal do remain favourites for Isak’s signature, but that is simply based on that being the most obvious fit and transfer for the Swede to make, as opposed to the story having any legs at this stage. A move would become far more likely if Newcastle failed to qualify for the Champions League again, so Isak will certainly reassess his position in the Summer.
