Tottenham decide to sell starter after footage goes viral
Tottenham are not planning to try and offload Mathys Tel anytime soon despite his public confrontation with Roberto De Zerbi, sources have told Football Insider.
Tel and De Zerbi clashed on the pitch at the end of Tottenham's 0-0 draw with Everton last weekend.
De Zerbi was seen to be explaining something in real detail to the 21-year-old, which he looked to disagree with in the heat of the moment.
The Spurs boss dismissed any talk of a fallout, but the incident raised doubts around Tel's future at the club after he was linked away in the summer.
As I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider's Transfer Insider podcast, De Zerbi does not want Tel to leave as he is content with the current group of players at his disposal.
The French youngster has struggled for form in North London but remains a key part of the squad as it stands.
Mathys Tel to stay at Tottenham despite Roberto De Zerbi clash
Sources exclusively revealed to Football Insider in the summer that Tel was ready to leave Spurs if he was not offered a guarantee of regular game time.
He stayed at the club and has subsequently started five of their first six games of the campaign, but is yet to register a goal contribution amid their struggles as a team.
Speaking on the Transfer Insider podcast, I explained: "I don't think that incident will have any massive impact on Mathys Tel's future. He has struggled in the last couple of games, there's no getting away from that.
"He was disappointing against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup in midweek as well, but I don't think Spurs are in any position to be thinking of offloading players right now."
What did De Zerbi say about his confrontation with Tel?
De Zerbi is under real pressure to get things right at Tottenham as they struggle for form following the most expensive summer on record at the club.
The Italian boss let his frustrations boil over as he challenged Tel on the pitch after the draw to Everton, but later insisted that it was nothing for fans to be concerned about.
He told reporters: "Yes, I coached him on the pitch (about) the body shape of a striker. The striker can play with the shoulder on the goal. If we are playing with (James) Maddison, (Mohammed) Kudus and Savio, he has to play as a striker, and the striker has to look at the goal, no?
"Or on the cross of Robertson. He has to stay inside because he started (his career) as a striker. Now he's playing as a winger, but he started in his career as a striker. I love Mathys as a player, as a guy. There is not a problem.”