Manchester United’s £35m Tielemans Move Called a Bargain

Manchester United’s summer rebuild has drawn its share of scrutiny, but Shay Given sees one piece of business as a clear win. In his eyes, £35 million for Youri Tielemans is not just smart – it’s a steal in a market where midfielders routinely smash the £70m mark.

The former Premier League goalkeeper, speaking to BOYLE Sports, set out the contrast in blunt financial terms. United, he argued, have landed an experienced, international midfielder for roughly a third of what others have paid for marquee names.

“To sign Tielemans for £35 million when Sandro Tonali was £100 million,” Given said, “well that’s actually a really good piece of business because United are getting a really experienced player for club and country.”

For Given, the context matters. Aston Villa did not want to lose Tielemans. They were pushed there.

He pointed to Villa’s hand being forced by financial regulations, a twist that will sting in Birmingham. “Remember Aston Villa only had to sell him because of financial reasons, because they signed him on a free. That’s frustrating for Villa because they have two billionaire owners but that’s what the rules say.”

United, often accused of overpaying, have for once slipped in on the blind side. No £100m auction. No frantic deadline-day scramble. Just a measured move for a player who has already logged heavy minutes in the Premier League and for Belgium.

Given clearly believes that, pound for pound, Tielemans offers better value than some of the headline-grabbing deals elsewhere. When he was asked whether United had weakened their midfield by not going all-in on Tonali or Bruno Guimaraes, he didn’t hesitate. Tielemans, he insisted, is “a really good signing,” and the price only strengthens the case.

Lammens Backed as United’s Most Complete Keeper Since De Gea

If Tielemans represents smart business, Senne Lammens represents something United fans have craved for years: stability in goal.

Given did not hold back in his praise. He called Lammens the most complete goalkeeper at Old Trafford since David De Gea left, a striking endorsement from a man who knows the position and the pressure that comes with it.

“I think Senne Lammens has got the lot,” he said. “He’s been a breath of fresh air for Manchester United.”

The subtext is clear. For Given, the previous options were not good enough. “I was surprised Ruben Amorim didn’t put him straight in as they signed him because Andre Onana and Altay Bayındır weren’t at the level required, if I’m being brutally honest.”

That line cuts through years of uncertainty between the posts. United have cycled through solutions, stop-gaps and expensive gambles since De Gea’s peak years. Given’s view is that Amorim had the answer in his hands earlier and delayed.

He even picked out a moment that, in his opinion, should have been Lammens’ launchpad: “The first Manchester derby after they signed him could have been his first game. City put Gianluigi Donnarumma straight in. I think Amorim hesitated because Lammens is younger and less experienced in such a big game but I would have chucked him in too because he plays with such a calmness. Nothing seems to faze him.”

That calmness is central to the picture Given paints. Lammens, at 24, is still learning, still carrying the scars of a brutal night on the international stage – but he already projects the authority United’s back line has been missing.

From World Cup Heartbreak to Old Trafford Anchor

The World Cup error still hangs over Lammens’ story. It was a moment every goalkeeper dreads: cold, off the bench, and suddenly at the centre of a nation’s heartbreak.

Given, who has lived that life, offered a detailed defence of the young Belgian.

“He was really unfortunate at the World Cup,” he said. “I think it’s 10 times harder to come off the bench as a goalkeeper than an outfield player. If you’re a midfielder, you can get the ball, pass it back and get a feel for the game. The first thing Lammens had to do was deal with a shot he would save 99 times out of a 100 and hold on to it.”

The mistake was simple, and devastating. “Yes, he did a quick warm up on the side of the pitch but that shot would have been the first time he really felt the ball in probably two hours. He fumbled it and it was a really bad mistake to knock his country out of the World Cup.”

You don’t just shrug that off. Given acknowledged the psychological toll: “There will be mental scars from that, but he’s come back to Manchester United and he’ll have time to process that.”

This is where the story shifts. For many keepers, such a moment can define a career. Given believes it will shape Lammens, not break him. The move back to club football, into a dressing room where he is trusted and needed, offers a different kind of stage.

The Trust Factor United Have Been Missing

United’s defenders have lived with uncertainty behind them for too long. Changing styles, changing keepers, high-profile errors – all of it erodes confidence. Given’s assessment is that, with Lammens, that cycle can finally end.

United fans, he said, have “long called for consistency between the sticks,” and he is convinced that concern is now easing with Lammens in goal.

Concluding his thoughts, Given underlined what he sees every time the Belgian steps out: presence, reliability, and something less tangible but just as important – trust.

“I like Senne Lammens a lot, I really do. I don’t think United have any problems when it comes to his position now in goal and they’ve got it wrong so many times in the past. I think Lammens has got a big future ahead of him and he’s the sort of goalkeeper that walks onto the pitch and makes everyone feel more secure. They all feel they can trust him. They know he’s going to be a seven or eight out of 10 at least and is going to save them.”

A cut-price controller in midfield. A calm, commanding presence in goal. If Given is right, United have finally stopped overpaying for short-term fixes and started building a spine that can last.