Roberto De Zerbi has given Mathys Tel the kind of message that can reshape a player’s summer.
After earlier uncertainty around the French forward’s Tottenham Hotspur future, Cartilage Free Captain, citing Football.London, reported that De Zerbi told Tel before the summer break that he is counting on him next season and has no intention of selling him. That matters because the same player had recently been framed as a possible market opportunity, with TEAMtalk reporting earlier this month that Bournemouth were among the clubs alert to his situation.
For Tottenham, this is not a throwaway reassurance. It is a test of whether De Zerbi can build an attack that has enough senior authority for 2026/27 without squeezing the oxygen out of a 21-year-old forward who still carries serious development value.
Tel No Longer Looks Like A Loose End
Tel’s profile explains why the decision is more complex than a simple keep-or-sell call. Tottenham’s official player profile lists him as a 21-year-old France forward who initially joined on loan from Bayern Munich in February 2025 before making the move permanent that summer. The club also note that he made 20 appearances in the second half of that first campaign, scoring three goals, while showing he could operate centrally or from the flank.
That versatility should make him attractive to De Zerbi. Spurs are already being linked with wide reinforcements, including the Savinho chase that has already sharpened the attacking debate, and their recent attack has been shaped by injury, inconsistency and late-season survival pressure. Yet Tel offers a different kind of value: he is not merely depth. He is a player who can press from the front, carry into space and attack the back post when the opposite winger holds width.
The issue is minutes. Tottenham cannot sell a rebuild to supporters while stockpiling expensive forwards and then leaving their younger assets stranded. De Zerbi’s message, if followed through, gives Tel a defined route into the plan rather than another summer of noise.
Why De Zerbi’s Attack Needs A Rotational Core
Sky Sports has already described De Zerbi’s Tottenham rebuild as under way, with encouraging signs after the club secured Premier League survival on the final day. That wider reset has created the temptation to solve every weakness with another signing. In attack, though, churn can be dangerous.
A De Zerbi front line requires timing, spacing and repeatable movement between the winger, full-back and nearest midfielder. Tel’s adaptation therefore cannot be judged only through raw goals. His next stage is about whether he can become a reliable rotation piece who keeps Tottenham’s pressing and ball-carrying threat intact when the first-choice attack changes.
That is also why the reported reassurance lands differently from a standard transfer denial. It gives Tel a pre-season target: prove that he can be more than an emergency left-sided option. If Savinho or another wide player arrives, Tel’s challenge is to become the flexible forward who stops Tottenham becoming predictable.
LATEST! | Spurs head coach Roberto De Zerbi has told Mathys Tel that he will be counting on him next season as a Tottenham player despite transfer links for the Frenchman.
A Smart Retention Call, If Tottenham Back It Properly
The safest move would be to keep Tel and call it succession planning. The smarter move is to keep him with a role that actually matches De Zerbi’s football.
Tottenham have already written several summer questions across midfield, defence and ownership funding. Tel’s case is smaller in fee size, but it could be just as revealing. If Spurs are serious about building a squad rather than simply buying a new XI, this is exactly the kind of player they have to develop inside the pressure.
That does not mean he should be protected from competition. It means the competition must sharpen him rather than bury him. De Zerbi’s assurance is only the first step; the real test begins when pre-season minutes, new signings and Premier League selection calls start colliding.
For now, Tel has been pulled back from the edge of the market. Tottenham’s next task is making sure that trust turns into a role.
