Man Utd 'aim' to replace Marcus Rashford with wantaway Champions League star in late January swoop

Premier League heavyweights Manchester United have expressed a strong interest in wantaway Bayern Munich wonderkid Mathys Tel as they continue to make contingency plans for the potential departure of Marcus Rashford.

Rashford, 27, has been frozen out of the squad by Ruben Amorim and has not featured for the first team since a narrow 2-1 victory over Viktoria Plzen in a Europa League match on 12 December. He was an unused substitute in a 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle United on 30 December but has otherwise been completely left out of the Red Devils group for the last two months.

The 60-time England international has publicly been criticised by Amorim for his poor workrate in training and while Rashford’s representative have rebuked these claims it appears increasingly unlikely that the winger will don the famous red kit again while ever Amorim is in charge.

Rashford expressed his desire to leave Old Trafford in an interview with Henry Winter last month, he explained: "For me, personally, I think I'm ready for a new challenge and the next steps."

United have already parted ways with Antony during this transfer window while the spotlight has also been centred around fellow winger Alejandro Garnacho amid interest from Chelsea. The Red Devils are in desperate need of reinforcements to alleviate the pressure on in-form winger Amad Diallo and struggling strikers Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee. But who is Mathys Tel and how likely are United to get the deal over the line? Here’s all you need to know.

Who is Mathys Tel?

Mathys Tel is a French Under-21 international winger that currently plays for Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich. A former youth academy player of Paris FC, Tel joined Rennes in 2020 and at 16-years and 110 days eclipsed Eduardo Camavinga’s record of being the youngest appearance maker before joining the German heavyweights for a fee of around £28m.

Tel won a league title in his first season at Bayern when he was just 17 and contributed six goals in 28 appearances across all competitions while being a regular member of Julian Nagelsmann and Thomas Tuchel’s squad. He gained further experience in his second term by scoring 10 and creating six goals in 41 appearances. Tel thrived in a number of positions and showcased his versatility by playing on both wings and through the middle as a striker.

Tel notably netted in a 4-3 victory against the Red Devils in the Champions League that season and has been on the club’s radar ever since after showcasing his potential at the Allianz Arena. The 19-year-old is a fast technically gifted football with tremendous skill, agility, finishing and creativity. He has been described by French media as a mini-Mbappe and is tipped to be an asset for his nation in years to come.

Is Mathys Tel likely to leave Bayern Munich?

Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg has revealed this week that Mathys Tel wants to leave Bayern Munich before the end of the January transfer window after struggling to win a first team spot under new boss Vincent Kompany.

Tel has made just 13 appearances across all competitions and has only been included in the starting line-up three times this term. Plettenberg also said on X: “Understand Manchester United considering entering the race for Mathys Tel in the event of a departure of Alejandro Garnacho or Marcus Rashford.”

United, Chelsea and Arsenal are all thought to be aware of Tel’s situation and are considering making bids this month. The Red Devils, however, are likely to need funds from either a Alejandro Garnacho or Marcus Rashford sale to facilitate a potential deal in what promises to be a busy final few days at Carrington.

In other news, Manchester United have been urged to avoid bringing Paul Pogba back on a free transfer to Old Trafford once the midfielder’s doping ban comes to an end.