Tim Sherwood says top Arsenal target should sign for Tottenham instead amid fresh twist in search for attacker

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The January transfer window is reaching its climax, and Arsenal are yet to add a forward to Mikel Arteta’s squad.

Gabriel Jesus is out for the rest of the season with an ACL injury, leaving Kai Havertz as the only senior striker option at the Emirates.

Meanwhile, the Gunners have just Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli and Raheem Sterling as senior wide men.

Thus, with Arteta’s attacking cohort threadbare, an addition is desperately needed in the final hours of the window.

Mathys Tel is a target for Arsenal, although Tim Sherwood doesn’t believe that the Bayern Munich man should opt for a switch to N5.

• READ MORE: Why Arsenal have reached deadline day ‘impasse’ for striker target Mathys Tel – there’s one problem

Tim Sherwood thinks Mathys Tel should join Tottenham over Arsenal

Starting his career at Rennes, Tel completed a move to Bayern in 2022, and has since largely played second fiddle to Harry Kane at the Allianz.

Scoring ten goals across all competitions last season, the Frenchman has been a peripheral figure under Vincent Kompany this term, starting just two Bundesliga games.

This has subsequently prompted speculation linking him with a move away from southern Germany, and Arsenal have been mooted as a potential destination for the forward.

Tel rejected a move to Tottenham, after having held talks with the Lillywhites over a potential loan deal.

However, this transfer now appears to be back on, with Tel reportedly heading to North London to sign for the Gunners’ rivals.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Sherwood revealed his belief that a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium would be more beneficial to the 19-year-old than joining Arsenal.

“January is a reactive market, they need to be proactive,” the former Spurs boss said.

“They’ve needed a striker for three years now. They haven’t managed to find him, what makes people think they will find someone now in the last few hours of the window?

“It makes no sense to go and find someone just for the sake of it.

“If it’s going to be (Mathys) Tel, then bring him in, yeah. Perhaps he didn’t want to go to Tottenham, but if I was the boy and I wanted to play in the Premier League, I would go to Tottenham because you’d have more chance of playing.

“Even saying that, would he play ahead of Son on the left-hand side? Would he play ahead of Solanke? I don’t think he would.

“He’s a development player anyway, so that won’t make too much difference to Arsenal anyway.

“The title is done, Liverpool have lost one game all season. I don’t see them going onto to lose three or four to let Arsenal back in.

“So wash your face and hopefully the scouts are busy ahead of the summer.”

Arsenal shouldn’t sign Mathys Tel

While an additional body would help, Sherwood is correct in suggesting that Arsenal shouldn’t sign Tel.

The Gunners need a player who can make an immediate impact for the rest of the season, rather than develop into a player who can do that in a few years.

There’s no doubt that Tel is talented, but his talent is raw and lacking the consistency to thrive at the top level.

Meanwhile, Tottenham can afford to blood him slowly, as Ange Postecoglou’s side have little to play for in the league for the remainder of the campaign.

Arsenal should be looking for a more established player in their prime.