Bayern Munich: Mathys Tel content with start to life in Bavaria
The last couple of months has witnessed a debate around the playing time of squad players at Bayern Munich. Julian Nagelsmann has been sticking with a core group of players in the starting XI, which has led to frustration for players that desperately need playing time.
Mathys Tel is one of the squad players that has not got regular starts in the first team. The French forward arrived from Rennes in the summer for a hefty price tag. Die Roten was determined to get the teenager despite Rennes’ best efforts to keep him in Ligue 1 for one more season. After getting two bids rejected, Die Roten eventually managed to sign Tel for €28.5 million, including add-ons.
Bayern has insisted from the day of his signing that Tel is a talent for the future. The German Champions decided to take an alternate route to replace Robert Lewandowski last summer. They paid for potential instead of getting a superstar.
Early signs have been promising about Mathys Tel. He has not played frequently but looked very solid in the limited opportunities. While talking to Sky Sports in Germany this week, Tel insisted that he is content with the way his time in Bavaria has started. The youngster is happy to see that Nagelsmann is relying him on to make a difference whenever he comes off the bench.
"“It’s not a difficult situation. I’m still young, I still have a lot to learn. We have a great coach and I think he relies on my qualities.”"
Mathys Tel has accumulated 328 minutes of playing time in 11 appearances for Bayern this season. He already has three goals to his name, becoming the youngest goalscorer for Die Roten in the Bundesliga and DFB Pokal. Nagelsmann has largely used him in a fluid attacking setup, giving Tel ample amount of freedom whenever he is on the pitch.
Bayern is handling Tel’s situation perfectly. The youngster is getting used to a new club and league, so slowly integrating him into the team makes sense. Moreover, he is still 17, so there is a lot of learning to do before becoming a first-team regular for Rekordmeister.
The record Bundesliga Champions had done a fine job with the integration of Jamal Musiala into the senior setup. They managed his playing time over the last two seasons. Die Roten is reaping the benefits of this approach as Musiala is now completely used to the intensity of senior football. Tel is also likely to similar pathway before becoming a mainstay in the senior team.
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The French forward came off the bench against Mainz and Inter Milan in the past few days. He scored a great individual goal against Mainz and looked bright against Inter. In an ideal scenario, Tel racks up 1000 minutes of playing time with the senior team this season to continue his development. He will have a big role to play after the World Cup since Nagelsmann will have to manage the workload of senior players to avoid injuries.