Who is Mathys Tel? Bayern Munich forward’s Career Stats, Analysis & Playing Style

Mathys Henri Tel is a French professional footballer who plays for Bayern Munich. The 19-year-old is an exciting forward who could either play on the wings or through the middle. Tel is everything you want in a modern-day forward.

Tel broke through as a 16-year-old from France and broke multiple records at his club level. His style of play and his nature already drew comparisons to his French compatriots. But Tel is seeking to forge his own identity.

The 19-year-old is currently on the books of Bayern Munich. He is struggling for minutes this season as Harry Kane is in imperious form. However, he always impresses when given the chance through cameos and appearances in cup competitions.

The Journey of Mathys Tel

Mathys Tel was from the famed Calirefontaine National Centre for Football. The famed academy produced many gems including Kylian Mbappe and Thierry Henry. After his football schooling, Tel then joined Paris FC.

After a couple of spells with different youth academies, his first big breakthrough came when he joined Rennes. The Ligue 1 side was famous for producing many wonder kids and Tel joined the line. He impressed with the under19s and the coaches believed Tel was ready for first-team action.

The teenager then made his senior league debut in 2021. He was only 16 years and 110 days at the time of debut and became the youngest debutant for Rennes. Tel went on to make a few more appearances before Europe’s best were circling for him.

Bayern Munich shelled a whopping €28.5million to capture Tel’s signature. The Bavarian giants were reeling following Robert Lewandowski’s departure. Tel’s potential gave them the belief that he would develop into a fine forward for the club going forward.

The journey so far has been smooth as Tel is developing with each passing season. He is waiting to truly produce a stunning season that announces him to the world.

The Beginnings of Mathys Tel

Tel the flashy forward now wasn’t always a thing. The exciting teenager joined the Villiers-le-Bel academy in Val d’Oise aged 6. Tel started his career as a centre-back. His gifted athleticism made him stand out in his group. But his coach Eric Campaner noted his technical quality and wanted him to pursue a forward role.

Campaner explained Tel was asked to play as a forward. He also continued that Tel used to practice with his father. He used to unleash powerful shots against his father in goal and his coach humorously said he often destroyed his father’s hands.

Campaner used to take Tel to various trials but his playing in defence was at a disadvantage. The coach suggested him to join Jeunesse d’Aubervilliers where he played as an attacker on weekends and on weekdays he trained as a defender at Clairefontaine.

This instantly drew rewards as Rennes were impressed with Tel the forward and offered him a scholarship when he was 13. However, he was only allowed to join them when he turned 16. Tel continued his improvement journey with short spells in lower league sides. Despite better offers from other clubs, Tel kept his word and joined Rennes.  

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Mathys Tel’s Club Career Stats

After Tel joined Rennes, he was asked to play for the youth side in the fifth division. His impressive performances immediately earned him a call-up to the senior side. Tel became the youngest to make a senior debut for Rennes. Despite not getting a goal or assist his potential was there to be seen and Bayern Munich snapped him up.

Tel scored his first-ever senior goal for Bayern against Viktoria Koln in the DFB-Pokal Cup. He became the youngest goalscorer for the club. He notched up his first league goal against Stuttgart to rescue a point for them and became the youngest league scorer as well. Tel netted six times in his first season in Bavaria.

The second season saw him hit double figures for the first time and assist a teammate. Tel scored 7 times in the league including a key winner against Borussia Monchengladbach. He also registered five assists in the league. He scored consecutive winners in the Champions League against Manchester United and Copenhagen.

A productive season with 10 goals and 6 assists at 18 years old forced Bayern Munich to offer a contract extension to Tel with better terms.

Tel is yet to be involved in goal contributions this season as he is going through a rough patch.

The Pivotal Moments and Achievements

Tel’s nascent career already has fantastic highs. Tel entered the fray when the game was level against Borussia Monchengladbach. They were a bogey team for the Bavarians who were winless in five games against them. In the 87^th minute, Tel rose the highest and headed the ball into the ground and beyond the goalkeeper. That turned out to be an excellent winner as Bayern ran away with three points.

Similarly in the Champions League, Bayern Munich were pegged back by United’s fightback. The coach then turned to Tel to get a result. The teenager calmly arrived in the box and brought down a chip before firing a volley past the goalkeeper to earn a famous victory. Next time out in the Champions League, he scored another winner against Copenhagen to seal off a 2-1 win.

Tel earned his first major trophy in 2023 when he lifted the Bundesliga. He played a key role in France winning the 2022 UEFA European under-17  Championship. Tel scored thrice in the group stages. He even donned the armband. He played the entire 90 minutes in the finals as France beat the Netherlands to lift the title.

Mathys Tel Playing Style and Strengths

Mathys Tel is a tricky winger who is full of pace. He can carry the ball excellently with agility and has great intensity in his game. Tel is output-oriented and has a great shot on him. He can think quickly and get the ball away from either foot towards the goal. It was possible due to the number of hours he spent on the training ground.

Another one of Tel’s key strengths is his versatility. He can either play on the wing or through the middle or even as an attacking midfielder. These key strengths have invariably drawn comparisons to his French compatriots. Kylian Mbappe and Thiery Henry are the most obvious ones as they all come from the same Clairefontaine academy. Even the playstyles are almost similar.

Mathys Tel has a lot to achieve in his career to make the comparisons come true. However, there is no pressure on his shoulders as he can develop at his own pace.   

Mathys Tel’s EA FC Rating

Mathys Tel has a 77-rated card on EA FC 25. He is already a Rare Gold card meaning his talent is already recognized within the game. Tel’s biggest in-game attributes are his pace, shooting and dribbling.

He is very quick in the game as he has 86 pace points. He has 80 overall shooting and a four-star weakfoot. The teenager is also a 4-star skilled and has 77 dribbling.

Tel saw a growth of +6 overall as he was only rated 71 in EA FC 24. His growth in-game mirrors his rise on the field. He needs to find his feet again to carry a similar upgrade in the next edition of the game.

Mathys Tel’s Net Worth & Salary

Mathys Tel signed a €20,000 a year deal in 2021 at Rennes. It was his first-ever senior contract. His rising stock saw him sign a lucrative €4 million a year deal as a 17-year-old. Just a year on, Bayern offered him a new deal five-year deal at €5 million. He earns a base salary of €96,000 a week and the contract has certain clauses which can be activated.

Tel has also been sponsored by Nike since he was 14 years old. They recognised his potential and signed a deal until mid-2024 to use Nike apparel in practice and in games. The deal sees him earn 10,000 euros per year.

Taking all these deals into consideration, Tel has amassed a net worth of €10 million till now.

Mathys Tel’s Future Calling

Tel’s future most certainly lies in Bayern Munich. The club has spent a lot on him and are hopeful that he could be their long-term centre-forward. That being said, in the short term Tel is struggling for minutes.

Harry Kane is in red-hot form for them at the moment. The English international is scoring freely as Bayern look to regain the Bundesliga title from Bayer Leverkusen. Coupled with this, Tel has failed to find the back of the net with some inconsistent finishing. Tel says he considers Harry Kane as his role model and has to learn a thing or two from him.

This has led to the rumours of a loan move in January. Nottingham Forest are said to be the front runners for Tel’s services. The English side are pushing for Champions League places and could do with a versatile talent in Tel.

We predict Tel to find a loan move and rediscover some goal-scoring form. Once Harry Kane moves on from Bayern, Tel might be the next forward to represent them on the biggest stages.

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