John Obi Mikel has described Manchester United’s £35million signing of Youri Tielemans as a “steal” and named the Belgian as his standout midfield transfer of the summer.
United moved quickly to sign Tielemans from Aston Villa in July, activating the release clause in his contract before handing him a five-year deal at Old Trafford.
The 29-year-old arrived with considerable Premier League experience after spells with Leicester City and Villa, but Mikel believes United have secured exceptional value.
Speaking in comments reported by Pulse Sports, the former Chelsea midfielder reacted to the fee by saying: “My God, that’s a steal.”
He also selected Tielemans as the best midfield addition of the window.
Youri Tielemans backed to improve Man Utd
Mikel highlighted Tielemans’ composure in possession, set-piece quality and ability to operate in different midfield roles.
More importantly for Michael Carrick, he believes the Belgium captain has joined Old Trafford capable of making United a better team immediately.
That was a major attraction when United completed the transfer.
Tielemans was one of two significant midfield additions alongside Andrey Santos, with ReadManUtd’s latest assessment of Carrick’s transfer strategy highlighting how the club have attempted to add greater control and balance in the middle of the pitch.
There is still work for Carrick to do before the Premier League campaign begins, but £35m already looks relatively modest in a summer when several midfielders have commanded considerably larger fees.
Tielemans must now justify Mikel’s verdict on the pitch.
After captaining Belgium at the World Cup and winning the Europa League with Villa last season, United have signed a player expected to contribute immediately rather than one requiring several years to develop.
