Before his switch to Tottenham, top English clubs like Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal were keen on signing him. United negotiated with the Bundesliga big hitters but later backed out after hearing their demand for a £5m loan fee. The Blues reportedly tried to hijack the loan move and came up with an offer while Tel was waiting to fly out to join Spurs on deadline day. However, by then, Tel had agreed to join the north Londoners after a chat with manager Ange Postecoglou, according to L'Equipe.