Tottenham Hotspur had to make sweeping upgrades to their squad this summer transfer window after finishing 17th in the Premier League in back to back seasons, but for every big upgrade Spurs make, there is someone in the squad who loses their place and their minutes. And that all goes back to the fact that, whether they want to hear it or not, there were several players who simply were not good enough to start for Spurs last season - including a lot of people Tottenham fans like.
On paper, there is a lot to love about Mathys Tel. He is only 21 years old, he has been fully COYS since arriving on loan from Bayern Munich in winter 2025, and, at times, he looks like a real star, including this past preseason when he was the best player on Tottenham.
But no matter how many opportunities he gets, Tel cannot consistently perform and produce real end product on a weekly basis against the better teams in the Premier League. Tottenham knew they could not go into another season with him as their best option on the left wing, and they have signed Omar Marmoush and Savio from Manchester City this summer transfer window with either Cody Gakpo or Iliman Ndiaye very likely to join from the Merseyside.
Mathys Tel needed to be upgraded on this summer
Mathys Tel was atrocious on Matchday 2 against Newcastle United, starting on the left wing with Savio a late scratch due to fatigue, per Roberto De Zerbi. He committed countless turnovers while failing to create any chances or meaningfully progress the ball against the Newcastle defense in a 2-0 defeat for Spurs.
This kind of a performance really hammers home why Tottenham cannot trust Tel as a starter, and in one game, he proved why he had to be the biggest loser of the summer window. Because no single player had more to lose from the signings Spurs made, as Savinho and Marmoush could both start over him, as well as Ndiaye, if he were to join Tottenham (which seems likely since Manchester City are close to sealing the deal for Cody Gakpo).
Tel can still be a great player in the future, and this game against Newcastle says nothing against his long term upside. But you can't play this badly in an important Premier League game against a team you are competing with for European places and expect to still be considered anywhere near starting caliber.
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