The “Farmer’s League” just keeps producing wonderkids! The number of talented youngsters that gave come from French academies is increasing by the day. Stade Rennais, though, is leading that charge. The frequency with which Stade Rennais keep churning out wonderkids is unbelievable. Be it the crown jewel, Eduardo Camavinga, or Loum Tchaouna, “The next Modric”- Lovro Majer, Lesley Ugochukwu or some older but equally good players like Martin Terrier, Rennais show no signs of stopping.
That is why excitement abounds the name of Mathys Tel, who has the potential to be the best of the lot. After all, you don’t earn a big money transfer at such an early stage of your career to Bayern Munich at 17 if you’re not special. The top French talent joined the Bavarians for what is something an extraordinary fee for a 17-year-old. Furthermore, Nagelsmann feels Tel is worth much more than the €28m that Bayern paid for him.
Julian Nagelsmann confirms Mathys Tel as new Bayern signing: “One day, he could be one of the best forwards and I have the vision that he can score 40 goals at some point of his career” 🚨🇫🇷 #FCBayern
Bayern will pay €20m plus €8.5m add-ons to Rennes for this boy born in 2005. pic.twitter.com/3GadMIzVn2
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 24, 2022
After becoming Bayern’s youngest-ever goalscorer in Bundesliga history, those words look prophetic. So, who is Mathys Tel? Why is there such excitement around his name?
Who is Mathys Tel?
Mathys Tel is a 17-year-old forward line player who plays for Bayern Munich in Bundesliga. He came through the famed youth academy of Rennais and is a Stade Rennais product through and through. Mathys Tel is a part of one of Stade Rennais’ most exciting golden generations in recent times. Along with Loum Tchaouna and Ugochukwu, Tel has made waves in the youth circuit since he was 15 years old. He started making scattered appearances for Stade Rennais’s first team last year after impressing in age-group football.
Mathys Tel potential
Mathys Tel is widely believed to be the most gifted prospect to come out of the Stade Rennais academy in some time. That is some statement considering the alumni of the club. Tel made an appearance in UEFA Youth League aged just 15, showing how highly the club coaches rated him.
After his breakthrough performance in 2021, Tel signed a new contract to tie him down to the club till 2024. However, that would always prove to be difficult considering Tel’s rapid progression.
Europe’s big guns started taking a liking to Mathys Tel, with Bayern Munich, particularly, thinking of taking the youngster and making him a part of the first team straight away.
Get this boy to the Allianz Arena
Mathys Tel is the next Mbappe— L.Prince 👑 (@LeroyPrince77) July 23, 2022
Mathys Tel stats
The 2021-22 season was a whirlwind for Tel. He started the season at Stade Rennais B, in the French third division. However, he quickly showed he had already become too good for this level. Tel scored six goals in six appearances to blast through the first team door. Soon, appearances in the domestic cup followed. He made a 15-minute cameo in the Coupe de France.
By the end of the season, Mathys Tel had impressed enough to be granted minutes off the bench in Ligue 1. Tel played a total of 49 minutes in seven league appearances, not enough to make a huge impact. However, his impact at the international level was breathtaking. Tel scored five goals in six games for France U18s. He also scored five in nine for the U17s.
He has already made Bayern fans fall in love with him with a stunning solo strike on his DFB Pokal debut. Scoring against Viktoria Koln, the French prodigy became Bayern’s youngest ever goalscorer, at 17 years and 126 days. It won’t be long before more records are set tumbling by Tel.
Skills and style of play
Mathys Tel is the archetypal modern forward, capable of playing across the frontline. Although his preferred position is on the left-wing, from where can cut inside to his stronger right foot, Tel is equally comfortable playing on the right wing or as a striker.
Tel is adept at using either foot, making him a nightmare for defenders to deal with. He combines his trickery and dribbling with a footballing IQ that belies his age. He has a keen eye for goals and a great understanding of spaces on the football field.
He has a physically imposing frame for a 17-year-old. He uses his tall frame to hold off defenders. When playing as a striker, he likes to run the channels or off the shoulder of the last defender to convert chances. At his best, Tel would be a combo forward in the mould of a more physically imposing Sadio Mane– a ridiculously high ceiling.
Mathys Tel at Bayern Munich
Mathys Tel’s play last season ensured that he is no longer a secret in the footballing world. Bayern Munich confirmed the signing the player in the 2022-23 summer window. Tel reportedly made it clear about his intent on making the move happen and had communicated the same to Rennais.
Also Read: Mia San Mia and its importance to Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich, and the Bundesliga in general, has a great record of developing youngsters. There have been numerous success stories like Alphonso Davies, Jadon Sancho and others hoping to emulate them, like Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and Momo Cisse. Mathys Tel hopes to follow that same path.
With Robert Lewandowski now confirmed as a Barcelona player, Bayern are reconstructing their forward line. Tel is set to be a key part of a new-look Bayern attack.
Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann reportedly sees Mathys Tel as one of the most talented young strikers in Europe. He has been given entry straight into the first-team setup at Bayern, a rare occurrence for a 17-year-old joining from a foreign league. Bayern also signed Sadio Mane, and in Mathys Tel, they might just sign a player who has the potential to even exceed Sadio Mane’s superlative talent in the coming years.
*This article is sponsored by Whistling Woods International, that brings specialised courses on Sports, Esports & Online Gaming.