Could Mathys Tel Be Bayern Munich’s No. 9 Of The Future?

Mathys Tel will not leave Bayern Munich on loan next summer. That much has been confirmed by the agency of the young 18-year-old striker. Tel staying at the club also makes sense considering the difficult market for strikers in the upcoming summer transfer window.

“Officially: Mathys will stay in Munich no matter what,” a statement by the player’s agency published by TZ reporter Philipp Kessler read. “All clubs want to know about his situation and it’s totally clear for us. One year ago people asked who he is and now they all know he is the future. Even if Haaland or Mbappé come this summer. For him the first year was full of precious knowledges for his path, he is on a mission,” the statement added.

The statement also added that Tel is ready to fight for his position within the squad. “He knows that if he wants to be the Number One in his team, he needs to work and improve step by step,” the statement read. “If you want to be a key player in Munich, you have to improve and fight in Munich. This is the mindset. Mentally ready so keep going.”

That statement should, for now, end speculations linking Tel with a move to another club. Those speculations even included a potential move to MLS side LAFC with whom Bayern has recently signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement.

Bayern Munich signed Tel for €20 million ($22 million) from Ligue 1 club Stade Rennais last summer. A relative unknown player at the time, the 18-year-old Frenchman has often been compared to the likes of Thierry Henry, and while his playing time has been limited this season, there is no doubt that his potential is limitless.

At first glance, Tel’s four goals in 19 Bundesliga games is not impressive. But when breaking it down to per minutes scored, Tel has been successful every 90 minutes. In other words, the young striker is on pace for one goal per game this season in the Bundesliga.

Perhaps that has been the most significant part of Tel’s development. Although limited to just 360 minutes, the young striker very much can be impactful right away. It is with that in mind that Bayern has opted not to release the 18-year-old for the U20 World Cup in Argentina, as they need the young striker in what has been a tight battle with Dortmund for the title.

The TZ reported that Bayern wants to have Tel available during the decisive phase of the title race and have told him that. The player has accepted the decision without a problem. His goal is to win his first major trophy in Munich.

That development should further underline that Bayern feels that Tel is the player for the future. In fact, Tel’s development might also impact the club’s decision when it comes to buying a new no.9.

Two strikers, in particular, have been targeted by Bayern: Harry Kane (Tottenham) and Victor Osimhen (Napoli). But with the former still considering his future, casting doubts on whether he will ever move abroad, and the second likely to expensive for Bayern, the Rekordmeister might have to look elsewhere when it comes to signing a new no.9.

One name that has recently appeared is Randal Kolo Muani. But Eintracht Frankfurt wants around $100 million for the forward, plus the 24-year-old Frenchman is not a classical no.9.

With all that in mind, Bayern could very well hand the no.9 role to Tel next season. In fact, internally, there might even be a wait-and-see approach crystalizing, with the club going into the summer without buying a striker in order to see how Tel will take on the challenge. Should the young Frenchman fail to nail down the spot, there would still be time to react on the transfer market.

Manuel Veth is the host of the Bundesliga Gegenpressing Podcastand the Area Manager USA at Transfermarkt. He has also been published in the Guardian, Newsweek, Howler, Pro Soccer USA, and several other outlets. Follow him on Twitter: @ManuelVeth