Less than a year ago, Mathys Tel was knocking on the door of Bayern Munich’s starting 11. As of this morning, the teenager plays for a club keeping a relegation scrap just beyond arm’s reach.
At the beginning of the season, few would have predicted these words could apply to Tottenham at any point in the season – let alone in February. But such has been their campaign. Desperate. Wild. Promising. Deflating. One step forward. Two back.
And such was their deadline day.
Like those at Old Trafford in September and the Etihad in November, the Tel deal looks like a big victory for Spurs. ‘An unbelievably sought-after player,’ according to Bayern director of sport Max Eberl, the France starlet initially turned down Tottenham’s approach amid reported interest from Manchester United and Arsenal, but is said to have been swayed by Ange Postecoglou in a much-needed win for the Australian coach.
Tel fills gaping holes all across Spurs’ front line. Richarlison, filling in for the injured Dominic Solanke, has yet to find his shooting boots after a layoff. Dejan Kulusevski has been pushed further forward to cover for the absences of Brennan Johnson and Timo Werner. Skipper Son Heung-Min plays almost every minute and carries too heavy a burden.
The 19-year-old can play all three positions; a hugely promising talent in what is still, despite everything, a promising season for Tottenham. Postecoglou’s men remain in three cup competitions at the time of writing.
But for their fourth-place finish in the Europa League group stage, they are 10 places worse off in the Premier League. For every advancement in the League Cup came a league loss to relegation contenders Ipswich, Leicester and Everton. For every Mathys Tel, there’s a Marc Guehi.
Having already beaten Wolves to the signing of Kevin Danso, Tottenham were not subtle in their pursuit of a further centre-back on deadline day. They put everything (or more specifically – £70 million) on Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi.
It was never on. Palace had already told Chelsea that Guehi was not for sale in the winter window. Chelsea, possibly out of spite, recalled Trevor Chalobah, then Moroccan Chadi Riad suffered a season-ending injury, and this all after losing Guehi’s long-term partner Joachim Andersen to Fulham the previous summer.
Eagles manager Oliver Glasner plays a back three. England international Guehi is one of only three centre-backs available for selection. You do the maths.
Around the time of the rejected offer, news broke that Radu Dragusin had suffered an ACL injury after coming off against Elfsborg – Spurs’ 27th (twenty-seventh) separate injury of the season. The club’s half-hearted reply was a £20 million bid for Burnley defender Maxime Esteve, quickly shrugged off by the promotion-chasing Clarets. A last attempt to convince Axel Disasi to stay in the capital rather than join Marcus Rashford in the Midlands. But too late.
One step forward. Two back.
A win in Europe and a loss across London. Hope for the future and the reality of the present. As many confirmed long-term injuries as confirmed signings. If a deadline day ever summed up a club’s season, it was Mondays and Tottenham’s.