Better than Tel: Spurs must rue selling Mourinho signing who was a “big-game monster”

Tottenham Hotspur generated significant excitement among their supporters when they secured Mathys Tel on loan last month.

The young French talent had attracted interest from multiple Premier League clubs, including Manchester United, making his arrival in North London a promising addition to Ange Postecoglou’s squad.

However, a month later, Tel’s impact has been underwhelming, raising concerns about whether he will return to Bayern Munich as a disappointment. With just a few months left in the season, his time in England is running out, and he risks being labeled a flop.

Worse still, a former Tottenham attacker, once considered a failed signing under José Mourinho and later sold by Antonio Conte, is currently outperforming him elsewhere.

Mourinho made several questionable signings during his brief tenure at Tottenham, with Matt Doherty being one of the most notable examples. The Republic of Ireland international arrived from Wolverhampton Wanderers for approximately £14.7 million in the summer of 2020.

Initially viewed as a smart investment, he ultimately failed to make a lasting impression. Over two and a half years, Doherty made 71 appearances, contributing three goals and eight assists, but never fully convinced the Spurs faithful. By January 2023, he was released on a free transfer, marking a disappointing end to his time at the club.

Mourinho’s missteps in recruitment extended beyond permanent transfers, as he also opted to bring in Carlos Vinicius on loan from Benfica in October 2020.

The Brazilian forward arrived with an impressive record of 24 goals and 13 assists in 47 appearances from the previous campaign, creating optimism that he could provide valuable support for Tottenham’s attack.

While he performed reasonably well in the Europa League, scoring six times and assisting three goals, his impact in the Premier League was minimal. With only one goal in nine league appearances, Spurs decided against activating their £41 million purchase option, sending him back to Portugal.

Now at Fulham, Vinicius has experienced a more stable career, but his time in North London remains a forgettable chapter.

Among Mourinho’s attacking signings, one player who failed to live up to expectations but is now thriving away from Spurs is Steven Bergwijn. The Dutch winger arrived from PSV Eindhoven for approximately £27 million in January 2020, showing flashes of brilliance, including a stunning debut goal against Manchester City.

However, his overall output remained disappointing, managing just eight goals and nine assists in 83 appearances across all competitions. By the summer of 2022, Tottenham offloaded him to Ajax for around £26 million.

After leaving the Premier League, Bergwijn found his form in the Eredivisie, registering 29 goals and 11 assists in 80 appearances for Ajax before making a surprise switch to Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League in September.

Since his move to the Middle East, the 27-year-old has produced ten goals and six assists in 23 matches. Adding the one assist he provided in his final four games for Ajax before leaving, he has averaged a goal involvement every 1.58 matches this season, demonstrating far greater efficiency in front of goal than Tel.

A statistical comparison between Bergwijn and Tel highlights the stark contrast in their performances.

(Source: Transfermarkt)

Tel’s struggles become even more evident when analyzing his output in both Bayern Munich and Tottenham colors this season. Across 20 appearances, he has contributed just one goal and one assist, averaging a goal involvement every ten matches.

While it is true that he competes in a more challenging league than Bergwijn, his inability to make a significant impact raises concerns. With Tottenham striving for consistency in the final stretch of the campaign, there may be moments when they wish they had someone like Bergwijn available on the bench to provide an attacking spark.