Manchester United’s move for Mathys Tel has collapsed, and now Premier League rivals Arsenal are making a late push for the Bayern Munich winger, according to a report in The Guardian.
Tel joined Bayern from Rennes in 2022 and has since made 83 appearances for the club. Last season, he featured in 42 games across all competitions, but under Vincent Kompany, his playing time has been significantly reduced.
In the 2024/25 season, the French winger has started just two Bundesliga matches, and now, Bayern are eager to offload him. The club is looking to loan him out immediately, with a plan to sell him permanently in the summer.
Why did Manchester United fail to sign Mathys Tel?
Just yesterday, Manchester United were considered favourites to land Tel, but negotiations have since collapsed.
Bayern Munich insisted on including an obligation-to-buy clause in the loan deal, while United were only ready to agree to an option-to-buy.
United are not ready to commit to a long-term deal which is why they have now walked away and are exploring alternative options to replace Marcus Rashford.
Can Arsenal sign Mathys Tel on deadline day?
With United out of the race, Arsenal have stepped forward and are now said to be in discussions for the French winger and Bayern.
Like United, the Gunners are in need of attacking reinforcements, but Bayern’s stance on the transfer will not change even on deadline day. The Bavarians prefer to sell Tel outright for around €60 million, and if that’s not possible, they want any loan deal to include an obligation to buy.
Tel is a versatile player who can operate on both wings and as a striker, but Arsenal are unlikely to spend €60 million on him, especially with bigger attacking targets in mind for the summer. They want to bring in Benjamin Sesko during the summer window plus they will also need to sign some midfield reinforcements.
Even if Arsenal agree to Bayern’s loan demands, they risk being stuck with a €60 million flop if Tel struggles in the Premier League during the second half of the season. Given the circumstances, the Gunners – like United- may ultimately back away from this deal before the window closes.
UPDATE:
Resonating out thoughts, Sky Sports are claiming that Arsenal are unlikely to sign Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich at this final stage.