It was difficult to forecast the excellent run of form that Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting had earlier in the season for Bayern Munich. With Robert Lewandowski leaving for Barcelona last summer and Bayern signing Sadio Mane from Liverpool as an indirect replacement, there was cause for concern as to where the majority of Bayern’s goals would come from. There was no expectation that Mathys Tel was going to be thrown right into the fray by Julian Nagelsmann, though he has made his impact felt when he’s been called upon.
Still, new manager Thomas Tuchel is wary of putting too much pressure on Tel at Bayern, especially at just 18 years of age. While age isn’t really the issue for Tuchel, he just feels it’s unfair to expect too much from the youngster at a club that just recently lost a striker that could guarantee you over 30 goals per season.
“There are a few things, it’s not just age. Age is relatively uninteresting. It’s a question of whether you’re doing him a favor by starting him and putting him under pressure of being the savior. Other players who are more experienced are needed more (in this situation). There are easier situations for an 18-year-old. It’s not the case that he always scored straight away when he came on. There has to be a continuous path into the starting eleven. From the last impressions, I’m not sure he’ll walk straight into the starting eleven. But maybe I’ll change my opinion on Sunday (vs. Hertha Berlin).” Tuchel explained when he was asked about Tel (via @iMiaSanMia).
Even with Choupo-Moting’s recent injury absence, Tel has not been in the starting lineup since the 2-2 draw with VfB Stuttgart back in September, a match in which he scored a goal. There’s really no shortage of attacking options at the club between Mane, Thomas Muller, Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry, Jamal Musiala, Kingsley Coman, Choupo-Moting, and Tel, but only the latter two are natural strikers. Add to that the fact that Choupo-Moting’s scoring run earlier in the season was pretty unexpected, and it’s quit obvious that Bayern will be in the market for a striker worth at least 100-million euros this summer.