Manchester United continue a transfer strategy that has proved successful in the past by signing Aston Villa star Youri Tielemans.
It’s been a hectic few days for Manchester United.
The midfield rebuild is finally starting to take shape, with Andrey Santos arriving in a £48m deal from Chelsea, as well as United activating Youri Tielemans’ £35m release clause.
This transfer comes after Ineos walked away from deals for Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes earlier in the window, yet United fans have every right to be optimistic about the news regarding Tielemans.
Man Utd are set to sign YOURI TIELEMANS from Aston Villa? What is your REACTION?
How much is Youri Tielemans worth? How would he fit in?
Youri Tielemans set to join Man Utd’s list of Premier League-proven transfers
United fans have been uneasy this summer after seeing targets join other Premier League rivals because Ineos are perhaps rightly unwilling to pay £116m for Anderson or £85m for Fernandes.
To make matters worse, Aurélien Tchouaméni has agreed to sign a new contract with Real Madrid until 2031.
Then, in a twist that no one saw coming, United triggered a previously unknown release clause worth £35m in Tielemans’ contract.
This is another example of United prioritising Premier League-proven players in the transfer market since Ineos took control of football operations in 2024.
The transfer blueprint in place at Old Trafford has led to successful signings like Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha. Both players became key members of the team in their debut seasons.
Michael Carrick will hope that Tielemans is the next successful Premier League-proven signing at United. It should, at the very least, help him hit the ground running.
As for Santos, it’s too soon to say he is proven in the Premier League, due to previously playing a bit-part role at Chelsea, where he was understandably positioned behind Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez in the pecking order.
- ⚡ NEWS IN BRIEF
- Youri Tielemans joins a list of players who signed for Manchester United with Premier League experience under his belt already
- Tielemans will become the second midfielder to sign for United this summer
- Andrey Santos completed his switch to United from Chelsea on Monday
WHO will be Man Utd’s THIRD midfielder signing to go with Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans? Who do you want?
Which midfielder do you think would fit United's rebuild best? What do we need next?
Man Utd fans can be more optimistic about the transfer window
The deals for Santos and Tielemans this week prove that United have been working hard behind the scenes, as well as preventing leaks to the media.
Some journalists are bound to be angered by this, but some are taking it out on United by suggesting that the transfer window has been chaotic for the club thus far.
There is nothing chaotic about signing Santos and Tielemans, two players who will bolster our midfield after losing Casemiro, for approximately the same price as Fernandes cost Tottenham.
That is shrewd business rather than chaotic.
This is why United fans can be proud of the club’s movements in the market. Let’s face it, the same journalists would be criticising United for overpaying had they spent over £100m on Anderson.
There has been plenty of chaos in the past, including a 100+ day chase of Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong or panic deals on deadline day (Marouane Fellaini and Odion Ighalo), but what we are seeing now is a clear improvement.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
