So far this season, Mathys Tel has managed to score six goals and record one assist in just 330 minutes of competitive action. This is an impressive record for the Frenchman considering he has been unable to find the back of the net in his last three outings.
Nevertheless, despite averaging a goal every 55 minutes, Tel has only managed to start one competitive game this season, and that was in the DFB-Pokal against third-tier side Preußen Münster. However, while this may disappoint many other strikers, it is something that Tel is currently thoroughly enjoying, as Thomas Tuchel explained to UEFA.com before Bayern Munich’s 3-1 win over Galatasaray:
“We think every day about whether we should let him play for 90 minutes. But Mathys is handling this role so well at the moment that we don’t want to just give this role away. It’s very important to have someone who loves this role. The team knows that if he comes on for half an hour or a quarter of an hour, he can completely influence our game. He can give us the energy and score the decisive goal. That’s an extremely important role.”
Nonetheless, while Tel may be content with his current role, the 18-year-old will eventually want to see his development rewarded with more minutes at the Allianz Arena. With his contract set to expire in the summer of 2027, alongside Harry Kane’s, whether Tel will be willing to wait that long is hard to believe.
Nevertheless, Tuchel would remark that this is something that he is wary of: “If I let him play from the start now, I might be missing someone who can play this role with the same passion, dedication and quality. That’s why it’s a trade-off. We have to watch how long Mathys has the positive energy for this role. We will always give him games from the start. But at the moment we have a lot of competition. Mathys is 18 years old and takes on the role very well. He leaves his ego out of it and that is very remarkable.”
GGFN | Will Shopland
