Man Utd pull off transfer masterclass as three rival clubs left lookin | Football | Sport
Michael Carrick will be delighted with United’s transfer business this week (Image: Getty)
They say whoever laughs last, laughs the longest, and that might be the case for Manchester United after they agreed a surprise deal to sign Aston Villa midfielder Youri Tielemans.
Out of nowhere, it was revealed on Monday that United were in advanced talks over a move for the Belgian playmaker. They are expected to pay around £35million in exchange for his signature, having triggered his release clause. Tielemans will reportedly undergo a medical on Tuesday ahead of his imminent move to Old Trafford.
It’s claimed that Villa had no desire to sell the midfielder and even offered him a new contract, but he made it clear that he wanted to join United.
When the move is officially confirmed, it will be nothing short of a masterstroke from United for a variety of reasons.
For one, they are getting a bargain by paying just £35m for a player who is proven in the Premier League and recently captained his country at the World Cup.
Central midfield was a problem area for United heading into the summer window and Tielemans’ arrival will go a long way to addressing their current shortage in the engine room.
The move will also make several Premier League rivals look silly, given that Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos has just been confirmed as a new Red Devils player.
The combined fee for both players will be around £85m, which is the exact sum Tottenham paid to beat United to the signing of Mateus Fernandes.
For that amount of money, the north Londoners managed to get one player who has been relegated from the Premier League in each of the last two seasons but continues to fall upwards. It cost them another £100m to get Sandro Tonali, too.
Youri Tielemans is set to join the Red Devils in a bargain £35m deal (Image: Getty)
United, meanwhile, are signing two excellent midfielders of very different profiles for considerably less.
Santos is young, hungry and has plenty of potential for future growth, while Tielemans is battle-hardened, at his peak and more than capable of covering several positions in the middle of the park.
The latter being signed for only £35m, when he is arguably worth much more, has also left Villa with egg on their face, given that they were left powerless to stop him from leaving at that price.
Chelsea won’t come out of this unscathed, either. Santos was lauded as one of their best young players during his loan spell at Strasbourg two seasons ago before he settled into the Blues senior squad and became a regular starter.
He was destined to hold down their midfield for many years to come, but now he’ll be future-proofing United’s engine room instead and at a reasonable price in this market.
The only winners in this scenario are the Red Devils, who will be rubbing their hands with glee after pulling off two brilliant bits of business.
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