Bayern Munich sporting director Christoph Freund has explained why Mathys Tel was not involved in Saturday's Bundesliga contest with Holstein Kiel.
Tel was a notable absentee from the matchday squad at Allianz Arena, with Freund confirming that his omission was down to the speculation surrounding his future.
The 19-year-old informed Bayern towards the end of last week that he wanted to leave the German giants in the latter stages of the January transfer window, and there has since been a host of speculation.
Tottenham Hotspur had a €60m (£50m) bid for Tel accepted on Friday, but the forward turned down the chance to make the move to the North London outfit.
Manchester United have allegedly made a 'verbal offer' for the teenager, with the 20-time English champions stepping up their interest after agreeing a loan deal with Aston Villa for Marcus Rashford.
Freund has said that the speculation surrounding Tel led to him being left out, with the attacker not in the right frame of mind to take to the field against Holstein Kiel, who suffered a 4-3 defeat to Bayern.
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Tel was left out of the Bayern squad against Holstein Kiel
"We're talking a lot with him," Freund said. "A lot's been going on with the young lad in the past few days. He's only 19. We decided together with him yesterday that there's a lot on his mind, so it makes no sense for him to be involved today.
"That was discussed very openly with him. But that doesn't mean anything. There's a lot going on right now. Lots of clubs are interested in Mathys. He just needs to think about things today and tomorrow."
After the match, Freund commented further on the situation, insisting that it was possible for the youngster to stay in Munich.
"That is absolutely realistic," Freund told Sky Deutschland. "Mathys is extremely connected to the club. He loves being here. It's quite possible that he will still be a Bayern Munich player on Tuesday."
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Which other clubs are keen on Tel?
Villa had also been linked with Tel, but with Rashford set to arrive, their interest in this transfer window has ended.
Arsenal and Chelsea are also believed to be keen, but Man United are seen as the favourites at this stage, with Tel potentially arriving at Old Trafford on an initial loan deal for the rest of the campaign.
There is also expected to be an option to sign him on a permanent basis this summer.
Tel has found it difficult to make his mark for Bayern during the 2024-25 campaign, failing to net in 14 appearances in all competitions, but he has scored 16 goals and registered seven assists in 83 outings for the Munich giants.
Matt Law
