Sam Allardyce believes Manchester United pulled off one of the smartest deals of the summer by signing Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa.
The former England manager has given the Belgium international a nine-out-of-ten rating and says his experience could prove extremely useful to Michael Carrick.
Youri Tielemans arrived at Old Trafford as part of a busy summer for Manchester United. Andrey Santos, Karl Darlow and Carlos Baleba have also joined, but Allardyce sees something particularly valuable in the former Villa midfielder.
Allardyce calls Youri Tielemans an ‘absolute bargain’
Speaking on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast alongside Kevin Nolan and Natalie Pike, Allardyce couldn’t hide his admiration for the deal.
‘Oh, absolute bargain, a steal,’ Allardyce declared.
His main argument is the amount of top-level football Tielemans has already played. The midfielder has experience in the Premier League and at international level, which means United aren’t taking a gamble on an untested player.
‘Experience coming out of his ears, both internationally and in the Premier League, at Leicester, Aston Villa, only £30m I think.’
Allardyce believes there is very little missing from Tielemans’ game apart from one obvious area.
‘He’s definitely a nine based on the whole package of experience of what he’s got. If anything, he lacks a bit of pace but his brain, his intelligence, his quality on the ball.’
That combination should appeal to Carrick. Manchester United have been trying to reshape their midfield and Youri Tielemans gives them someone who already understands the demands of English football.
His arrival also means Manchester United haven’t had to wait for a young midfielder to settle into the league before trusting him in important games.
For Allardyce, that is exactly why the deal deserves such a high mark.
Kevin Nolan agrees with Allardyce
Former Bolton midfielder Kevin Nolan was just as impressed with United’s business.
‘I think price-wise, everything that comes with him, I think it’s got to be probably strong nine, 10. I think that’s the closest to a 10 I’d give because of everything he brings.’
The fee itself is another part of Allardyce’s argument. United completed the deal for £35 million, and he believes the value looks even better when Tielemans’ previous transfer history is considered.
‘You’ve got to remember, this is £35m profit because he’s on a free,’ he added.
Allardyce was referring to Tielemans’ move to Aston Villa after leaving Leicester, questioning how the midfielder was allowed to leave his previous club without a transfer fee.
‘How could Leicester have let him go on a free? Just let him run out of contract, let him go on a free. I mean, it’s just like unbelievable.’
For United, that history is now somebody else’s problem. They have Youri Tielemans, and Michael Carrick has already spoken highly of the midfielder’s attitude and ability since his arrival.
The bigger question is what Tielemans can do once the season gets going. Manchester United want to build on last year’s third-place finish, but the opening-day defeat to Hull City showed there is still plenty to improve.
Tielemans wasn’t brought in to solve every problem. He doesn’t need to.
His value, as Allardyce sees it, is that United have signed an experienced player who knows the league, has technical quality and can be trusted in a midfield that is still being rebuilt.
At £35m, Allardyce thinks United got far more than they paid for.
