The summer will be dominated by international football. Bayern Munich will have players representing their national teams at the Euros, Copa America, and The Olympics. It will be a lot of football for players after a grueling campaign with the club.
Mathys Tel looks to be the only player from the senior squad at Bayern who will play at the Olympics. Thierry Henry announced Tel as part of the French contingent for the Olympics on Monday. The French striker had an impressive campaign with Die Roten despite getting limited game time.
Tel ended the season with 10 goals and six assists in 40 appearances for Bayern. The French forward started only nine games for the Bavarian clubs. He made a terrific impact on the pitch whenever Thomas Tuchel brought him in the second halves of the games. (Stats courtesy: Whoscored)
Bayern had no problem with France taking Tel to the Olympics since it would be a great experience for his development. The teenager will miss the pre-season tour since the games at the Olympics will take place in July. While talking to RMC on Monday (via iMiaSanMia), Henry confirmed that Bayern gave him permission to select Tel in the French squad.
"I've had discussions with Bayern, yes. They told me Mathys can come."Thierry Henry
It will be intriguing to see if Henry will also use Tel as a super sub for France. The youngster will have to compete with senior players in the attack. Bayern will hope Tel gets valuable game time in the tournament since it will help him build rhythm for the new season.
Tel will have a bigger role to play at Bayern next season. The Bavarian club parted ways with Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting at the end of the campaign. Tel may get regular game time next season if Bayern trusts him to be the deputy of Harry Kane in the number nine position.
Moreover, Bayern are open to listening offers for Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry in the summer. Die Roten will certainly add a winger to the squad, but Tel is expected to feature in the wide positions next season consistently. The French forward signed a new deal at Bayern in March after getting assurances over his role in the squad.
The Bavarian faithful would have liked Tel to get the complete pre-season training under Vincent Kompany. A good pre-season would have set the tone for Tel to have a big campaign for Die Roten. However, playing for France at the Olympics will also have a positive impact on Tel’s development.