Man Utd on alert as striker target rejects Chelsea; Blues outcast now ‘set to stay’

Manchester United and Arsenal have both been given a boost as they hunt French forward Mathys Tel, with the Bayern Munich star reportedly rejecting Chelsea, while Ben Chilwell could now stay at Stamford Bridge.

Tel is keen to leave Bayern before the February 3 transfer deadline as he is concerned about his development stalling due to a lack of game time. The left winger, who can also play as a centre-forward, has made 13 appearances in all competitions this term, though only five of those outings have lasted 45 minutes or more.

Tel is struggling for starts due to fierce competition for places at Bayern, with head coach Vincent Kompany also able to use top stars such as Harry Kane, Leroy Sane, Michael Olise, Jamal Musiala and Serge Gnabry in attack.

Fabrizio Romano confirmed on Tuesday that Tel is pushing to join a new club where he will pick up more regular starts.

Chelsea held talks with Bayern about a possible swap deal involving the 19-year-old and Christopher Nkunku earlier in the transfer window.

Chelsea have been backed to re-enter discussions for Tel, though it now seems they will struggle to bring him to West London. According to German outlet Bild, the versatile forward has made it clear he does not want to join Chelsea.

Tel is worried that he will struggle for game time at Chelsea, just like he has been doing at Bayern. The Blues already have forwards such as Jadon Sancho, Pedro Neto and Nicolas Jackson in their squad, while fellow attacker Mykhailo Mudryk is awaiting the result of his B sample after a failed drugs test.

Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen have both registered their interest in Tel, but he is more likely to move to England as Bayern do not want to strengthen a direct rival.

This is where the likes of Man Utd and Arsenal come in. Florian Plettenberg revealed on Wednesday morning that United are looking at Tel to bolster their forward options as both Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho could leave in the coming days.

Coincidentally, Chelsea could ramp up their interest in Garnacho after learning that Tel is not keen on joining Maresca’s ranks. Chelsea are battling Napoli for Garnacho, with United eyeing a £60million (€71.6m / $74.5m) sale to improve their financial situation.

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Tel facing big decision; Chilwell to stay put

Coming back to Tel, sources have confirmed to TEAMtalk that Arsenal are firmly in the mix and have made contact with Bayern to discuss the conditions of a potential deal.

Tottenham Hotspur are also interested in the France U21 international, though he would rather join Arsenal as they are in a much better position right now.

Chelsea left-back Chilwell is another player who has been tipped to move clubs in this window, having been cast aside by Maresca.

But according to an update from the Daily Mail, Chilwell is ‘set to stay’ as there is ‘no exit lined up’ for the Englishman at this stage.

Chelsea had hoped to offload Chilwell via a loan deal to recoup some of his wages and get another unhappy player out of the door. But unless a club arrives with a late offer, he will continue to warm the bench for the rest of the season.

West Ham could be one option, as TEAMtalk understands Graham Potter is keen on reuniting with the 28-year-old. Everton have also been told they will need to sign one of Chelsea’s outcasts, such as Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall or Chilwell, if they terminate Armando Broja’s loan early.

Update on Kobbie Mainoo to Chelsea; Dorgu details revealed

Meanwhile, sources have provided TEAMtalk with the latest on United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, who has been linked with a shock Chelsea move.

Chelsea remain in the market for a new central midfielder and Mainoo is firmly on their radar due to the fact he still has not penned a new United contract.

If the situation continues, then Chelsea could swoop in with a £70m (€83.5m / $86.9m) bid that would give United some serious thinking to do.

Elsewhere, United are closing in on the capture of wing-back Patrick Dorgu from Lecce.

Dorgu will fly to Manchester on Thursday to undergo a medical and pen his new contract with United.

The Dane is expected to pick up the vacant No 13 shirt at Old Trafford and sign a deal lasting until June 2029, which will also include the option for an extra 12 months.

IN FOCUS: Who is Mathys Tel?

By Ben Mattinson (2024)

Tel is a clinical finisher. The way he can get off shots so quickly with minimal backlift is so impressive.

As a finisher he doesn’t have any angle bias, he can get shots off on target even at the tightest angles and on his ‘weaker’ left foot. Tel’s ‘weak foot’ ability means he can take players on near the box on either foot and still shoot accurately. This only makes him more unpredictable and harder to mark.

The Frenchman’s ball-striking is so impressive. Shooting form distance, he strikes the ball with so much power that it’s tough to stop his shots. Even when in a one-on-one he loves to smash shots in rather than place them but also does so accurately.

Tel loves to make runs in behind the defence particularly between the opponent’s right-back and right-sided centre-back. It’s these areas as an inside forward where Tel shines as he explodes into space and powers a finish past the keeper.

Tel’s intelligent movement creates high-quality chances for himself and he just needs to play with someone who can consistently find him and he’ll score lots of goals. When playing as a striker he drifts to the left a lot so he can isolate defenders in 1v1 situations and beat them to cut inside on his right foot.

He’s a quick player but not lightning fast, he’s smart with where he runs though always looking to get through the defence.

One of his most impressive traits is his physical maturity. Tel has a compact frame with good physicality. When shoulder to shoulder with a defender he’s tough to muscle off the ball and shields the ball well with his body. Tel’s physicality means he’s got decent hold-up and back-to-goal play too as a striker.

Tel’s athleticism is impressive too. He’s really springy which allows him to escape challenges and get shots off quickly with a lot of power. But this power in his legs also gives Tel a good vertical jump to be an aerial threat too. He’s displayed good heading ability when the opportunity to has arisen.