Manchester United reportedly ended their interest in signing Tottenham Hotspur-bound Mathys Tel due to Bayern Munich demanding a £5m loan fee for the 19-year-old.
After initially rejecting a move to Tottenham, Tel performed a sensational transfer U-turn on deadline day and has now arrived in the UK as he prepares to complete a temporary move to North London.
In between saying no to Daniel Levy and saying yes to Ange Postecoglou, Tel allegedly had his heart set on a move to Man United, who quickly positioned themselves at the head of the queue.
However, negotiations between the 1999 Champions League final competitors then broke down over the weekend, leaving the teenager's future in limbo ahead of the 11pm cut-off point.
Man United pulling out and Tel rejecting Tottenham seemingly gave Arsenal a clear run at the attacker, but after exploring the conditions of a deal, the Gunners decided against an eleventh-hour switch.
Man United 'baulked' at Tel loan demand
© Imago
Instead, Spurs tried another charm offensive on Monday - one that succeeded - and the Lilywhites are now set to pull off one of the biggest deals of the January 2025 deadline day.
According to journalist James Ducker of The Telegraph, Man United chose not to pursue a deal for Tel due to Bayern demanding a £5m loan fee, which the Red Devils 'baulked' at.
The powers-that-be allegedly considered that amount excessive for a 'largely unproven' teenager, one who has only set up one goal in 14 appearances for Vincent Kompany's side in all competitions this season.
However, only four of Tel's 14 appearances in the 2024-25 campaign have come from the first whistle, and the France Under-21 international has a total of 16 goals and seven assists in 83 appearances for the Bavarians.
The 6ft teenager is comfortable as both a central striking option and on the left-hand side, and he is set to follow Kevin Danso and Antonin Kinsky to Spurs as their third January signing.
Will Man United do any business before transfer deadline?
© Imago
Two spots were freed up in the Man United attack for Tel and another arrival, as Marcus Rashford's loan switch to Aston Villa was confirmed on Sunday, while Antony is now attempting to resurrect his career with Real Betis.
However, as the Red Devils opted against forking out £5m for Tel on a six-month loan, and their tentative pursuit of Chelsea's Christopher Nkunku did not lead to anything, Ruben Amorim is not expected to welcome any new faces to Old Trafford before 11pm.
There could still be movement out of Manchester in the next few hours, though, as left-back Tyrell Malacia is reportedly set to undergo a medical with Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven ahead of a loan transfer.
Malacia was initially en route to Benfica, but negotiations between Man United and their Portuguese counterparts also collapsed due to the Red Devils standing firm on their transfer demands.
Alejandro Garnacho and Casemiro are both expected to stay at Old Trafford beyond the deadline, though, despite having been linked with departures earlier in the window.
Ben Knapton
