For a start, Tottenham have an option to buy Tel for £45m – whereas it feels unlikely Chelsea would have allowed such a clause for any loan involving Felix – which gives Spurs assurance they can sign the teenager permanently if he does succeed, rather than improving another club’s player for no long term gain.

Ange Postecoglou persuaded Tel to join Tottenham on deadline day, and may need to drop the French 19-year-old into his starting XI for Thursday night’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at Anfield

Mathys Tel to Tottenham Hotspur was perhaps the most dramatic story of the winter transfer window, filled with twists and turns.