Manchester United came close to signing Bayern Munich forward Mathys Tel on deadline day.
With Marcus Rashford joining Aston Villa on loan and Antony signing for Real Betis, Manchester United found themselves extremely short of options up front.
For the remainder of the season, Ruben Amorim will have to compete in three different competitions with only Rasmus Hojlund, Joshua Zirkzee, Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo as his attacking options.
Amorim wanted to sign a striker on deadline day, but his request was denied by the United hierarchy, who pulled out of a deal for Mathys Tel.
United were in talks over Tel with the Red Devils eager to sign the 19-year-old on loan. It seemed as though the French forward would arrive on deadline day, but all of a sudden negotiations churned to a halt.
Why Mathys Tel chose to join Tottenham
Tel’s move to United looked on because he initially snubbed a move to Tottenham after they submitted a £50m bid for the French forward.
However, United walked away from the Tel deal due to Bayern’s demand for a £6.5m loan fee. It was revealed on Monday that Tel travelled to England, and shortly after his move to Spurs was confirmed.
In his first Tottenham interview, Tel was asked why he chose to join Spurs and the player insisted it was his “best option”.
“Why I chose Tottenham? It was the best option for me.
“I’m ready to play, I’m here, I’m ready to grow. It was the best option for me and now I’m very happy. I felt the commitment, I spoke with the President, the team manager, the coach and as I said, that was very important for me.”
Whether Tel did not feel the “commitment” from United’s offer is up for debate, but it certainly seems as though it was the decision of Jason Wilcox and Co. to walk away from the deal rather than Tel snubbing United.
Man United may regret £6.5m Mathys Tel decision
United fans were furious at missing out on Tel, with supporters slamming the decision to walk away from a loan deal.
Amorim has already been dealt a bad set of cards as head coach and now he will have to tackle the remainder of the 2024/25 campaign with an even weaker squad – especially in terms of attacking options.
United will be holding out for Viktor Gyokeres in the summer, with the Sporting star potentially available for around £63m.
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But a poor end to the season could mean that United have no European football to offer to new signings.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe turned his nose up at the £6.5m loan fee for Tel, but that is a decision United could come to regret terribly by the end of the season. Only time will tell.
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