Tottenham Hotspur left winger Mathys Tel is still trusted by Roberto De Zerbi and remains a player Spurs believe in as a long term project, especially after the incredbile preseason that he had. But with more pressure and higher quality competition in front of him, Tel has been a major let down to start the 2026/27 Premier League season.
He was disastrous against Newcastle United , constantly turning over possession and drawing the ire of Spurs fans for selfish play, though his inability to release the ball on time may have been as a result of trying to do too much rather than pure ego. Nevertheless, Tel was woefully ineffective, and then with Mykhaylo Mudryk joining on loan from Chelsea at the close of the summer transfer window, the young Frenchman was nearly as poor as Spurs were blanked out of the score sheet for a third game running in a 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest .
Mudryk isn't the only player Tel has to watch out for, though. Amongst all the players fighting for that No. 2 spot on the wing behind, presumably, Savio - though Omar Marmoush can also be the main left winger with Dominic Solanke at striker - there is also Wilson Odobert to worry about.
Odobert and Tel are both young, promising French forwards who can play on the wings, though Odobert is more of a playmaker and has more versatility in terms of his ability to play on the left or the right wing.
He is still a way's away from recovering from a torn ACL in the second half of the 2025/26 Premier League season, but Wilson Odobert should be back at Tottenham Hotspur at some point sooner rather than later when the calendar flips to 2027. And when the other young French winger returns, he will be coming for Mathys Tel's spot, which could become tenuous in terms of his own future at Spurs despite the theoretical promise and upside he comes with.
Odobert now counts as a home grown player after completing three full seasons in the English fotball system before turning 21, as he was a Burnley player before making his way to Tottenham. And because of that, Odobert is very valuable in terms of registration, meaning if it were to be a 50/50 toss up next season between Tel and Odobert in terms of who counts for that roster spot, Odobert would have a distinct advantage. And that is something Tel has to keep in the back of his mind now.
This article was originally published on www.hotspurhq.com as Wilson Odobert quietly has a means of taking Mathys Tel's place .
