Fabrizio Romano confirms Tottenham star has threatened to leave the club over playing time
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has provided a major update on the future of Mathys Tel, revealing that the young Frenchman could be heading for the exit door at Tottenham Hotspur this January.
Despite arriving with high expectations, the 20-year-old forward is reportedly frustrated with his lack of regular game time under manager Thomas Frank.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano explained that Tel is prepared to leave North London, either on loan or permanently, if his situation does not improve immediately.
The driving force behind this potential move is Tel’s “one dream”: representing the French National team at the upcoming World Cup.
“Mathys Tel is an important talent and he joined Tottenham almost one year ago in January 2025. Now what is going to happen? Mathys Tel has one dream: to go to the World Cup with the French National team. Mathy Tel wants to play, wants to play on a regular basis, wants to feel important.
“So the message arriving from Mathys Tel to Tottenham is ‘if I’m not playing here, I am prepared to go on loan. I am prepared to go (permanently)’.
“So at this stage from Tottenham, the intention is to keep the player and make Mathys Tel one of the important players at the club for the second half of the season.
“But from the player’s side, he will be following the situation very closely in the next days and weeks because if he doesn’t play, if he doesn’t feel important in regular game time, Mathys Tel could consider an exit from Tottenham in the January transfer window.”
Mathys Tel attracting interest from France
Ambitious Ligue 1 side Paris FC are reportedly leading the chase to bring Tel back to France on loan.
Interest is also high in Germany, where Tel previously starred for Bayern Munich, and several other Premier League clubs are keeping tabs on the situation.
Speaking about the potential suitors for Tel, Romano continued:
“There are several clubs in several countries interested in signing him. In England, in Germany were he played with Bayern and also France for a potential return to French Ligue 1. For example Paris FC, are really ambitious in the market and would love to sign Tel on loa. But at this stage, the message from Tottenham is clear: they are still not giving the green light.”
Mathys Tel’s time at Tottenham so far since the move
Mathys Tel’s journey in N17 began las January when he joined on an initial loan from Bayern Munich.
After showing flashes of brilliance, Tottenham triggered a £30 million permanent option in the summer of 2025.
However, the 2025/26 campaign has been a struggle for the versatile attacker.
Despite a stunning goal in a recent 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth, Tel has found starts hard to come by, often being utilised as a late substitute.
With the January transfer window now open, the standoff between the player’s World Cup ambitions and the club’s desire for squad depth is reaching a breaking point.
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