Tottenham Hotspur have reshaped their squad this summer, and with Thomas Frank now at the helm, it feels like the Londoners can challenge toward the top end of the Premier League once again.
It’s been a fruitful start for the Danish coach, taken from Brentford after the dismissal of Ange Postecoglou. Not without blots on the copybook, the Lilywhites have marched steadily through the early stages of the campaign, third in the league with ten points from five fixtures and having beaten Villarreal in their opening match back in the Champions League.
The new recruits are blending in nicely, but not all are firing on all cylinders. Indeed, despite having spent the latter half of the 2024/25 term on loan at the club, Mathys Tel continues to leave plenty to be desired.
Mathys Tel's struggles at Spurs
It was not Frank’s decision to activate a £30m permanent option to reel Tel over to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for good, but Daniel Levy’s. Now, Levy has stepped down, and the original bid, led by Ange, has left Tel somewhat adrift, having lacked quality on the field.
Aged 20, it’s clear that confidence is a factor, having featured five times across all competitions, yet to score or assist, following an indifferent start to life in London last season, posting three goals and two assists across his five months on board.
His only starting berth in the Premier League so far came during the 3-0 romp over West Ham United, and Tel was handed a 5/10 match rating by football.london, who acknowledged his hard work but drew attention to the luckless performance at number nine.
No one can doubt the France U21 forward’s commitment, and having been hailed by analyst Ben Mattinson as being the “long-term Heung-min Son replacement”.
That’s all well and good, but Spurs actually have another rising winger in Mikey Moore, and there may not be room for both in Frank’s system.
Mikey Moore's Spurs future
Moore left Tottenham this summer, relocating to Rangers in the Scottish Premiership on a one-year loan deal.
Hailed as a “superstar” in the making by journalist Fabrizio Romano, Moore only turned 18 in August but has already featured 21 times for Tottenham’s senior side, bypassing the road into U21 territory after an incredible start to life with the U18s.
Tottenham U18
24
19 (13)
Tottenham
21
1 (2)
Rangers
7
0 (1)
Tottenham U21
5
2 (2)
Tottenham U19
5
0 (0)
His development was deemed to be best served away from the Premier League, gaining invaluable experience in a prominent role at Rangers.
Moore has endured a somewhat difficult start to his time in Scotland, but this is hardly his fault. Most of the blame can be apportioned to Russell Martin and the dysfunctional first-team system at Rangers, who have started the season wretchedly.
But the boy’s talent cannot be disputed, having gone from strength to strength among the Tottenham seniors last season before his 18th birthday.
Given that Moore tends to occupy that left-sided flank, he and Tel might come to blows in a tussle for the ascendancy down the line, and the teenager’s pace and power and potency will soon be translated to the senior stage, especially if Rangers manage to click into gear in the coming months.
Given that Moore is two years Tel’s junior and already looking every bit the same calibre of player, albeit raw and unpolished, it might just be that both prospects cannot cohabit in Frank’s set-up, not in the long run.
If push comes to shove, Moore might just emerge on top.