REPORT: The “next Mbappe,” who is expected to score at least 40 goals a season, is reportedly being negotiated to join Bayern Munich.
There was a time when every young French forward who burst onto the scene usually found themselves being compared with Thierry Henry. Particularly if they had a penchant for cutting in from the left.
These days, however, those rising stars from across the Channel tend not to be referred to as the second-coming of Henry but as the ‘new Kylian Mbappe’ instead. It’s a moniker that came the way of Mathys Tel when swapping Rennes for Bayern Munich to the tune of nearly £20 million before his 18th birthday, and a nickname he has gone some way to justifying with a handful of explosive right-footed finishes for the German giants.
“He’s a very young, talented player who can play different positions,” said Julian Nagelsmann, who was the Bayern boss when a 17-year-old Tel arrived at the Allianz Arena in 2022.
“He is very quick, strong with his body. He’s good at defending the ball with his back towards the opponent’s goal.
“I have the vision that he could score 40 goals (in one season) one day in the future.”
Manchester United move for Mathys Tel
Still only 18, Tel is a long way away from stumping up the sort of numbers Mbappe tends to produce without breaking stride at Paris Saint-Germain these days.
But with Bayern already facing a fight hanging onto the France under-21 international – Manchester United are reportedly stepping up their pursuit of an electrifying forward they looked at last summer too – the so-called ‘next Mbappe’ could be in for his own summer of speculation while the real thing sees his Paris Saint-Germain deal run down.
“In the past few weeks, Man United have intensively analysed (Mathys Tel),” Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg writes on X. “The club have contacted his management and inquired about a potential transfer in the summer.
“Manchester United’s interest in (Bologna striker Joshua) Zirkzee is still present, but has somewhat diminished in the meantime. Tel, he’s now in the spotlight.”
Is Bayern starlet really the ‘next Kylian Mbappe’
Despite his usual superb-sub role – every one of Tel’s 17 Bundesliga appearances this season have come from the bench – the teenager still has six goals in all competitions. One of those, you may recall, came against Erik ten Hag’s Man United side in September.
With Bayern 3-2 up, Tel burst into the box with an explosion of acceleration reminiscent of Mbappe in his Monaco days before lamping the ball into the roof of Andre Onana’s net.
“You can see that he wants to score goals. That’s a great quality,” smiles Bayern icon Thomas Muller, drawing comparisons between Tel and another generation-defining wideman.
“Thinking back to when Arjen Robben was playing, we used to think he should have been looking for the pass but he was so focused on scoring. And he scored a lot.
“Mathys should keep doing his thing: firing shots in on goal. He’s a superb finisher.”
READ NEXT…
SOURCES: CHELSEA BATTLE PSG FOR ‘INCREDIBLE’ £150M KYLIAN MBAPPE REPLACEMENT
- EXCLUSIVE from Graeme Bailey
Rafael Leao is ready to pursue a move away from Italian giants AC Milan with long-time admirers Chelsea on red alert as they look to bring the Portugal international to the Premier League.
HITC Football understands that Raphael Leao, who scored a brilliant goal in Milan’s 3-0 hammering of Rennes in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday night, is likely to leave the San Siro this summer.
And he will not be short of offers. HITC have been informed that not only are Chelsea long-term admirers, Leao is also the kind of player – young, improving and brimming with potential – that Todd Boehly’s side are prioritising in the market after another highly-disappointing season on the pitch.
Chelsea eye Milan talisman Rafael Leao
Barcelona have been watching the Sporting Lisbon academy graduate closely over the last 12 months. There is interest from Paris Saint-Germain too. Sporting director Luis Campos brought Leao to France with Lille back in 2018. He remains a huge fan of the skilful 24-year-old.
Devastating when drifting in from the left onto his right foot, Leao may be handed the unenviable task of stepping into the void created by the departure of Kylian Mbappe at PSG. HITC understands Mbappe has told the French champions that he plans to leave this summer, Real Madrid’s long-standing interest potentially bringing an end to one of European football’s most long-running transfer sagas.
Chelsea, then, will not be short of competition in pursuit of one of the continent’s most talented forwards. Leao, who joined Milan for £32 million, reportedly has a £150 million release clause in his contract.
Potential Raheem Sterling replacement
“You can see Leao’s quality and skills. It’s obvious,” former Blues boss Graham Potter said of the winger ahead of last season’s Champions League clash between the two sides.
Leao has seven goals and nine assists to his name this season. He set up Theo Hernandez’s winner during last week’s 1-0 win over Scudetto holders Napoli.
“He is an incredible player,” Theo tells DAZN. “When he doesn’t score goals, he provides assists. People don’t see the work he does every day on the field. We are happy to have him like this.”
Leao could potentially be part of Chelsea’s Raheem Sterling succession plan. HITC has been made aware of the England international’s availability. Sterling is not part of the club’s long-term plans at Stamford Bridge.
Leave a Reply