ANGE POSTECOGLOU declared Mathys Tel WILL be a Tottenham player beyond the end of the season.
The French striker, 19, completed a deadline-day loan move from Bayern Munich to Spurs, who hold a £45million option to sign him permanently.
German reports had suggested the player could still choose not to join the North Londoners in the summer, despite that option.
But SunSport understands Tel is happy to stay should Spurs trigger it and a six-year contract has already been agreed.
Asked if he could clear up the confusion and if Tel would remain at Tottenham beyond the current season, bullish Postecoglou replied: “He’ll be a Tottenham player.
“I think he’ll show everyone he’s going to be a Tottenham player in the next six months. I didn’t bring him here for six months.”
Tel has been cleared to make his Spurs debut at Liverpool tomorrow having trained and received his work permit.
The same goes for 26-year-old centre-back Kevin Danso, signed on loan from RC Lens on Sunday, who is likely to start the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg.
Tel had initially rejected a switch to Spurs when a straight £50m deal was on the table.
But he had a change of heart on Monday, having had a persuasive exchange “purely about football” via phonecall and on text over a couple of hours with Postecoglou.
The Aussie joked: “I felt that if I kept him on the phone long enough, I would wear him down. He was falling asleep by the end!
“I got a sense pretty early on that there was a connection there and he was hearing what he wanted to hear. It is a big decision.
“He is a 19-year-old man at a fantastic football club. They would have been quite happy to keep him there I am sure but he also knew he needed to play.
“But not just play. Play where he is going to develop. I think it is a credit to him that rather than just jump at what came at him, he was very thorough in the way he made his decision.”
Tel had interest from other clubs including Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal, but was convinced, in the end, by Spurs.
Postecoglou said he was “100 per cent” certain Tel is happy to be at Spurs and sees the move as a coup for Spurs, who are in all cup competitions but 14th in the Premier League.
The ex-Celtic boss added: “He is very, very exciting.
“When you meet him you realise he’s got that bit about him as a person who has enormous self-belief and confidence in what he can do and what he wants to do.
“Even though he’s young, physically he’s already in a place where he can take on the enormous challenges of being an attacking player in the Bundesliga and I think he can handle the Premier League.
“He’s a goal-scorer, he can take people on, he’s got speed.
“I’d be very surprised if there was a club that wouldn’t be interested in somebody like him.”
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