Mathys Tel phone chat with Harry Kane hints at permanent Tottenham stay – ‘He was very excited’

Tottenham legend Harry Kane has hinted that new boy Mathys Tel could extend his stay in north London beyond the summer after revealing a phone conversation between the pair after the Frenchman completed his initial loan switch on deadline day.

The 19-year-old attacking talent was linked with a host of Premier League clubs throughout the January transfer window after deciding to leave the German giants in search of regular first-team football.

And despite significant interest from Manchester United, it was Spurs who eventually won the race for Tel after a change of heart from the player following a discussion with persuasive Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou.

Daniel Levy and co. were only able to sign Tel on loan for now, due to the player’s reluctance to sign permanently, although they do have a £45million option to buy come the summer.

And, despite reports that Tel is already lining up a move to Man Utd instead when the season ends, Kane has revealed how excited Tel was to seal his switch and the immediate impression Tottenham had made on him.

Spurs’ all-time leading goalscorer told SPORT: “He asked me [about Tottenham]. When the deal was done, he texted me and told me how great the training ground was. He was very excited.

“I wish Mathys all the best. Hopefully he gets a lot of playing time. That’s what he needs. He needs to develop and experience the highs and lows on the pitch.

“I know Tottenham well, they will look after him well. Hopefully he does well there. He should show what he can do at the highest level.”

The fact that the club has already made a strong impression on Tel certainly bodes well that he could opt to remain, despite being involved in the Carabao Cup debacle at Liverpool on Thursday night.

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Postecoglou believes in Tel ‘story’

Tel is in line for his first start for Spurs on Sunday when they head to Aston Villa in the FA Cup fourth round.

The French talent is likely to replace the injury-plagued Richarlison through the middle after the Brazilian picked up a calf issue against Liverpool and looks set for another spell on the sidelines.

As for the part Postecoglou paid in convincing Tel to sign, the Australian scotched at such suggestions, though, insisting Tel “wasn’t signed for just six months”.

“I don’t think it’s smooth-talking, or selling. I think there’s a real good story here which I really believe in,” Postecoglou said while explaining his conversations with Tel.

“I got a sense pretty early on that there was a connection there and he was hearing what he wanted to hear.

“It is a credit to him that rather than just jump at what came at him, he was very thorough in the way he made his decision. He’s a goal-scorer, he can take people on, he’s got speed.

“He is exciting. I’d be very surprised if there was a club that wouldn’t be interested in somebody like him.”

Latest Tottenham news: Spurs target double summer deal / Chelsea confident of winning Guehi race

Tottenham are pursuing the summer signing of Southampton winger Tyler Dibling and have also joined the race for Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton.

TT has previously reported on Spurs’ interest in Dibling, a player they have great admiration for and someone they considered moving for in the January transfer window.

But he remains a ‘key’ target within their ongoing vision of making signings for the future, with Football Transfers adding that defensive midfielder Wharton is also firmly in that conversation – in what would be a tremendous double signing.

Meanwhile, Chelsea believe they will win the race for Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi despite interest from other major clubs including Tottenham Hotspur – who failed with a big offer for the player on deadline day.

IN FOCUS – How many goals will Mathys Tel score during his loan spell at Tottenham?