'Deal agreed': Tottenham, Arsenal and Man Utd target 'changes preference' on €60 transfer

Tottenham Hotspur have agreed a €60 million (£50.2m) fee with Bayern Munich for the transfer of Mathys Tel, just a day after it was claimed the Manchester United target had his heart set on a move to Old Trafford.

L'Equipe reports that the agreement between clubs has been reached but it remains to be seen what preference the player holds. Tel had put several Premier League clubs on alert earlier this month by informing Bayern Munich that he wanted to quit the German giants before the end of the window.

Tottenham Hotspur sporting director Johan Lange travelled to Germany to hold direct talks with Bayern Munich on Wednesday and appears to have pushed the North London outfit into the lead of the transfer race, ahead of their top flight rivals.

Mathys Tel close to pushing through Bayern Munich exit

Earlier this month, Chelsea had made an approach to sign Tel but it's believed that the 19-year-old is reluctant to move to Stamford Bridge due to the competition for starting berths in the Blues attack. Christopher Nkunku, Noni Madueke, Pedro Neto, Mykhailo Mudryk and Jadon Sancho are all currently in and out of the side.

Manchester United are known to hold interest in Tel but any move would have to be financed by the exit of Alejandro Garnacho. The Red Devils forward has been linked with a move to Chelsea or Napoli but neither of those two sides have met United's £55 million transfer fee.

ManchesterWorld carried reports on Wednesday that the player 'wants' to join Ruben Amorim's side. He is seeking assurances over playing time before committing his future.

Arsenal, who are currently without the injured Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka, had also been linked with Tel but the Gunners are now putting all their efforts and funds into the pursuit of a £60 million transfer for Aston Villa talisman Ollie Watkins.

Tel arrived at Bayern Munich from Rennes for £24.4 million in July 2022 but has started just three games for the side this season. Speaking on Wednesday, Bayern Munich sporting director Max Eberl explained Tel's desire to leave the club.

He said: "Mathys decided at the time [in December] that he wanted to stay, that he wanted to assert himself. Now Mathys comes along and says that he can imagine doing something. And now we have to think about what we are going to do, whether we are going to do it. The playing time is not satisfactory for him, and that is understandable.

"It is now the end of January. And now it is more difficult for everyone involved. We have to see what is ultimately best for everyone involved, for Mathys and for Bayern Munich."

When quizzed on the possibility of the player leaving on a permanent transfer, Eberl said: "We will assess all the options. It was very rare that so many clubs called."

Ange Postecoglou urges Tottenham Hotspur to transfer action

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou had urged the club to complete signings before Deadline Day to help reverse recent results. When asked if there was money to spend, Postecoglou replied: "I don't ask those questions. It's not something I'm involved in, it's not something I have exposure to.

"My discussions with Johan and the club have been about trying to get some help for the players and I'll let them do their jobs. I've still got to manage this team and get them ready. We got back at 2 am last night. I'm not out there trying to find opportunities for the club, that's not my role at this time. There isn't time to do it.

"I have daily communication with Johan in particular and he's trying everything he possibly can to get the help we need.

"I don't think I'm stating anything other than the obvious and for me to come here and say something else would be disingenuous. This playing group needs help, there's no doubt about that. We're sort of playing with fire by not bringing anyone in, but the flip side of that is the club is trying to change that situation."

In other news, a Chelsea midfielder has agreed a deal with a Championship club amid interest from QPR, Sunderland and West Brom.