Tottenham have entered the race for Leon Bailey after failing to land Mathys Tel, it has been claimed. Bayern Munich forward Tel was a target for both Spurs and Manchester United, only for both clubs to miss out. Ange Postecoglou's side were turned down by the player after having a bid accepted, while it emerged on Sunday that United and Bayern couldn't reach an agreement on terms over a potential loan for the France Under-21 international.

Tel isn't the only forward to appear on United's radar as they look for reinforcements after Marcus Rashford's loan move to Aston Villa. A move for Jamaica and Villa star Bailey is once again on the table, with Chelsea's Christopher Nkunku another option. Two won't go into one, though. Having both missed out on Tel, the two clubs face a race against time to land Bailey - and ultimately both could fall short.

According to reports on the continent (via The Express), Spurs have contacted Villa to enquire about Bailey's availability. Villa will need to decide whether or not to cash in after already losing Jhon Duran this window, though they did complete a loan move for Marcus Rashford. Spurs have already added to their squad in the winter window, signing Antonin Kinsky and Kevin Danso. They're yet to add attacking reinforcements, though, and a potential exit for Timo Werner could further increase their need for a new face.

United, meanwhile, completed two deals of their own in the final week of the window. Neither was a forward, though, with centre-back Ayden Heaven and left-back Patrick Dorgu helping strengthen in other areas. Where will Leon Bailey finish the season? Have your say in the comments section. Bailey, 27, has one goal and two assists in just over 1,000 minutes of Premier League football this season. He got 45 minutes off the bench on Saturday as Villa lost to Wolves - their first defeat of 2025 - with Ollie Watkins withdrawn as a precaution.

"I changed him because he was feeling a little bit of pain in his muscle," Emery said of Watkins after Saturday's setback. "Hopefully tomorrow we will test him and assess him and it won’t be anything important. I changed him because of it.". Tottenham's interest in Bailey comes ahead of an FA Cup meeting with Villa on Sunday. The winger started Villa's third round win over West Ham in January, meaning he will be cup-tied if he does end up leaving his current club.

While we wait for movement on Bailey, Emery's side have sanctioned a pair of deadline day loan exits elsewhere. Kosta Nedeljkovic has joined RB Leipzig for the remainder of the campaign, while Samuel Iling-Junior has been recalled from Bologna and loaned to Middlesbrough. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read ourPrivacy Notice.