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Last Word On Spurs
Nov 4, 2026 9:30 AM

Tottenham Hotspur attacker Mathys Tel has been preselected for the France national team for Nations League matches against Italy and Turkey.

Mathys Tel has faced strong criticism at Tottenham over the last year; however, he is starting to show signs of a revival.

The 21-year-old has looked excellent at times for Spurs this season and is really improving under Roberto De Zerbi.

The Frenchman netted the second goal away at Chelsea to seal a famous win for the North London club and then looked impressive against Crystal Palace.

For most of his time at Spurs, Tel has not been particularly popular with supporters, but he has worked hard to prove them wrong.

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Mathys Tel named in the preliminary French squad for November matches

Mathys Tel named in the preliminary French squad for November matches, according to L'Equipe.

Zinedine Zidane has opted to include the youngster in his squad for the upcoming Nations League matches.

Making the France squad as an attacker is no mean feat, to say the least, given Les Bleus' plethora of talent.

Tel is likely to be joining up with the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Desire Doue and Michael Olise later this month.

The 21-year-old has been a key part of France's Under-21 side, netting 17 times in 24 matches.

Now, he is set to make the senior squad for the first time in his career following an impressive revival at Spurs.

Many will point to the fact that he has only one goal this season, but his overall performances under De Zerbi have been impressive.

De Zerbi has closely mentored Tel at Tottenham, and his dressing-down on the pitch after Spurs' 0-0 draw with Everton was a real sign of that.

The Italian's work with Tel looks to finally be paying off, with the winger's performances improving significantly.

Mathys Tel could reach the next level playing as a centre forward

There is still very much a sense that Tel can go to another level at Spurs, with the attacker currently being stuck out wide.

It can be questioned whether Tel's attributes really suit being a winger and whether playing him as a number nine could suit him better.

Tel's best performances for France's Under-21s have come when he has been playing down the middle.

The 21-year-old's ability to strike the ball could make him best suited to be played in front of goal and could also help Spurs.

The Lilywhites really need a new striker and prehaps Tel could be that player for them.

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