Manchester United and Arsenal battle for Mathys Tel’s signature | OneFootball

Mathys Tel's future may come down to a straight choice between Manchester United and Arsenal as both clubs push for his signature in what promises to be a frantic final two days of the window. Arsenal have also been mulling over to return with another move for Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins. Tel last week announced his desire to leave Bayern Munich for first-team football, sparking a flurry of interest.

The 19-year-old has already turned down Tottenham Hotspur, despite the agreement of a fee with Bayern. Any deal may now hinge on the type of loan move the German club are willing to strike, as interested clubs would prefer an option to buy. Bayern naturally want to keep their own option on a young player who is highly rated for the future, and is only leaving as he wants more minutes. That is something both United and Arsenal can offer, including the possibility of Tel being an immediate starter.

Ruben Amorim is in urgent need of options up front that better suit his football. Mikel Arteta meanwhile continues to adapt to long-term injuries to both Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus, that have left his team thin on options. Tel is understood to have been most open to a move to Old Trafford, but Arsenal can offer the opportunity to challenge for the biggest trophies this season. Tel would be able to play in the Champions League knockout stages.

Arsenal have also been considering another move for Watkins, having first approached Villa on Monday. That enquiry left the London club with the understanding that the forward may be available for a certain price, although there was at that point a difference of at least £20m in valuation. Arsenal spoke to Villa over whether a deal of around £40m would be possible but £60 is more likely a figure to get a deal done. Villa have been one of the busiest clubs in the last few days of the window, having sold Jhon Duran to Al Nassr, and got to the final stages of attempts to complete loan deals for both Paris Saint-Germain's Marco Asensio and Manchester United's Marcus Rashford. The latter could actually allow United to complete a deal for Tel.

Villa are known to be close to PSR limits, which is why their business elsewhere has encouraged Arsenal to go in for Watkins. Arteta has long been a fan of the forward, who is a boyhood fan of the club, and has repeatedly scored against the side over the last few seasons.

With Watkins having turned 29 at the end of the year, Arsenal are only likely to go for him this window, and at a certain price. That has propelled a sense of "now or never" for a player that has always wanted to play for the club. In the summer, Arsenal would move onto a younger profile of target that isn't available now, such as Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko.