Tottenham: Stats show how Roberto De Zerbi should decide Mathys Tel’s future amid exit talk
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(Credit: Imago) Thu 28 May 2026 17:45, UK Tottenham Hotspur star Mathys Tel has to be front and centre of Roberto De Zerbi’s plans for next season amid uncertainty around his future ahead of the summer.Tel endured a tough maiden campaign as a permanent Tottenham player after joining the club from Bayern Munich last summer.He was dropped from their Champions League squad twice under Thomas Frank, but ended the season on a high as Spurs avoided relegation under Roberto De Zerbi.The French forward wants to stay at Tottenham, but would like assurances over the club’s confidence in his abilities going forward, according to Sky Sports’ Zinny Boswell.Tottenham’s transfer plans should clearly not involve Tel, and De Zerbi needs to make sure he pledges to trust the 21-year-old after how he performed in the final few weeks of the season. ✈️ Tottenham Hotspur Transfer News ✈️ Breaking news on deals in progress, signings, departures, and contract news from the Spurs boardroom. VISIT THE TRANSFER HUB MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES Mathys Tel was key to Tottenham avoiding relegation under Roberto De ZerbiSpurs were staring relegation in the face with four games to play as they sat in the bottom three ahead of a trip to Aston Villa.Tel swung over a superb cross for Richarlison to make it 2-0 at Villa Park and created another big chance as he was key to a vital three points in their quest to survive.Appearances (starts)31 (13)Goals4Assists1Chances created per 902.01Successful crosses per 901.94Successful dribbles per 902.62Fouls won per 901.54Tel’s 2025-26 PL statsHe scored his fourth goal of the season a week later against Leeds with a brilliantly curled strike to put Spurs ahead, but did undo that good work by giving away a late penalty that was dispatched by Dominic Calvert-Lewin.Tel was one of Spurs’ most dangerous players in their loss to Chelsea, as he hit the woodwork, created a chance and had the joint-most touches of any player in the opposition box (5).The Frenchman was then handed a fourth successive start in one of the biggest games in Tottenham’s recent history against Everton last weekend.He did not crumble under pressure and created the joint-most chances of any player (4), took six touches in the Toffees’ box and drew two fouls in Spurs’ 1-0 win to avoid relegation.De Zerbi clearly knows that he can trust Tel in key moments, and it is a complete no-brainer to assure him of more game time next season before he potentially pushes to leave North London.De Zerbi has made his thoughts on Tel’s future clearSources have exclusively revealed to Football Insider that Savinho is open to joining Spurs as they line up a move for his services, and the latest reports on Tel’s uncertainty could be related to the Man City star being inbound.Understand Mathys Tel ideally wants to stay at Spurs but would like assurances he'll be in a stable environment where he feels the trust + confidence of the club.
21yo played a crucial role under RDZ in keeping Spurs up but had a difficult season, including double #UCL omission. pic.twitter.com/9RE4MHNUYF— Zinny Boswell (@ZinnyBoswell) May 28, 2026 Judging by what De Zerbi said about Tel after his mistake against Leeds, the young winger should not be concerned about where he stands ahead of the summer.He said: “(Tel showed a) great reaction. Very mature guy, maybe more so outside the pitch than on it because he hasn’t played that many games.
“He’s a lovely guy, strong character and in the future he can play better and better and become a great player for us.” Don’t Miss a Beat: Your Tottenham Hotspur Insider Access Get the full story from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Hotspur Way with our dedicated expert hubs: Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from N17 and Hotspur Way.