Mathys Tel

Key strength: Adaptability

Versatile player

At just 20 years old, Mathys Tel shoulders an impossible weight—leading the line for a Tottenham side marooned in 18th place, fighting desperately for Premier League survival. The French striker, a €35 million investment entrusted with the storied number 11 shirt, has been thrust into the furnace with 35 appearances and nearly 1,400 minutes this season—a staggering workload for developing talent. Yet his modest return of 3 goals and 1 assist only scratches the surface of his value. Deployed as a classic target man, Tel's true currency is link-up play, knitting together attacks for midfield collaborators James Maddison and Mohammed Kudus. Remarkably, he's navigated this baptism by fire without a single card to his name. Spurs have shown signs of life lately—collecting 7 points from their last 5 matches with WLDWW form—but they remain trapped in the relegation zone. For a club desperate for salvation, Tel represents both the grim present and a brighter future: a €35 million statement of faith that Tottenham's destiny may yet be rewritten.