Manchester United landed the bargain of the summer transfer window when they signed Youri Tielemans last month, according to former Reds forward Louis Saha. Saha also believes Tielemans presents better value for money than Elliot Anderson, Matheus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali.
Deal details
United sealed a £35m raid on Aston Villa to sign Tielemans after a proposed £43m deal for Atalanta and Brazil midfielder Ederson collapsed following a medical. Tielemans, 29, has 244 Premier League appearances, having joined Leicester City from Monaco in 2019, before moving to Villa on a free transfer following the Foxes' relegation in 2023.
Tielemans made his debut for United against Paris Saint-Germain in Gothenburg on Saturday.
Saha's verdict
Speaking via PariuriX.com, Saha said: "Tielemans is a bargain. He arrived under the radar because he's been in the Premier League for a long time.
"I think his name has been mentioned with United in the last two years. You can see that he was really interested in coming to the club.
"That's what he said in his interviews. The way he's spoken in the interviews reassures me as to why he's been brought in to replace Casemiro.
"He's experienced, he's played in the World Cup, played well, showed his aggression, which is what we need in midfield. He shows his class with the ball in the simple way he plays his role in midfield. He understands where to position himself.
"His positioning is really, really good, and every touch that he does is very efficient, so he doesn't lose the ball as much as other players.
"He doesn't create as much as Bruno Fernandes, but he's very mobile, so I like his profile. I think when you have Tielemans with Santos, they can combine really well. I think there is an unpredictability in that midfield, but still power, still guaranteed, so I really like that."
Comparison with other signings
United had been searching for at least one midfielder after signing Andrey Santos, 22, from Chelsea. They lost out on signing Mateus Fernandes and Elliot Anderson, who joined Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City, respectively.
Fernandes moved to Spurs for £85m, with Tonali also costing them £100m, while Anderson joined City from Nottingham Forest for £116m.
Saha added: "When you compare Tielemans with Elliot Anderson, Matheus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali, it's a bargain.
"I do think that the price tag that has been put on those kinds of players is ridiculous, but it's a new market. I think it's the market of the agents. The agents are extremely good.
"I do think that it's very interesting that again the signings are players that really want to come to United so they fit the kind of mentality that we need.
"We need more of that and more players who completely dedicate themselves and sacrifice to be named in the history of rebuilding the legacy of Man United and I see this midfield as pivotal."
