John Obi Mikel has expressed astonishment that Manchester United secured Youri Tielemans for just £35 million, labeling the Belgian as the signing of the summer. Tielemans officially joined United from Aston Villa in mid-July, with a release clause in his contract enabling the bargain fee.
Transfer Background
Tielemans was not initially on United's radar. Talks began only after the club pulled out of a deal for Atalanta's Ederson due to a potential long-term issue discovered during his medical. A hamstring injury at the World Cup had also raised doubts over Tielemans' fitness, but he passed his medical and became United's third summer signing within 24 hours, following Karl Darlow and Andrey Santos.
United spent a combined £85 million on Santos and Tielemans, a sum that looks modest compared to fees for Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, and Elliot Anderson. Mikel, speaking on The Obi One podcast, did not hold back in his praise.
Mikel's Verdict
Asked to pick his favorite among the big midfield transfers, Mikel said: "For me, it's Youri Tielemans. Honestly... how the f*** did Manchester United get him for £35million? That's a f****** steal. I watched him before and during the World Cup, and you can see that this is a player."
He added: "Obviously, we all know how Tielemans plays, he can play as a six, an eight or a ten and when you have a player that can play anywhere, it gives you the variety to change the way you want to play. Tielemans is that guy. He scores goals, he's dangerous from set pieces, he's brilliant on the ball, and he rarely gives it away. The only thing people can say is that he's not the quickest, but he reads the game so well. He is very intelligent with and without the ball. When I look at all the midfielders that have transferred to different clubs [this summer], the best one is Tielemans."
Further Business Expected
United have done shrewd business but are being left behind by rivals who have made more signings. More arrivals are expected before the window closes, with midfield and left-back targets. Lewis Hall of Newcastle United is the priority for left-back, with Jorge Salinas an alternative. Antonee Robinson has also been linked. In midfield, AS Roma's Manu Kone is a concrete option, while Real Madrid's Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni are of interest, though moves may depend on Los Blancos signing Rodri.
