Manchester United's £35m Tielemans Signing Branded a Steal

Manchester United have made plenty of expensive mistakes in midfield over the past decade. According to two of Belgium’s most decorated modern players, this time they’ve hit the market sweet spot – and at a price that has stunned even seasoned pros.

For John Obi Mikel, Youri Tielemans isn’t just a smart signing. He’s the midfield signing of the summer.

On The Obi One Podcast, the former Chelsea anchor didn’t bother dressing it up: “For me, it’s Youri Tielemans. Honestly, how the f*ck did Manchester United get him for £35m? That’s a f*cking steal.”

This is a man who spent years policing Premier League midfields, watching elite No.6s and No.8s up close. Tielemans, he says, belongs firmly in that bracket.

Mikel revealed he had been tracking the Belgian closely around the World Cup and saw a player built for the highest level. Not just a passer. Not just a shooter. A complete modern midfielder.

“He can play as a six, an eight or a ten,” Mikel said, outlining the kind of tactical elasticity managers crave. A player who can sit, probe, or arrive late in the box. “When you have a player that can play anywhere, it gives you the variety to change the way you want to play. Tielemans is that guy.”

The praise didn’t stop at his versatility. Mikel highlighted the full package: goals, danger from set pieces, composure in tight spaces, and a rare security in possession. “He’s brilliant on the ball, and he rarely gives it away,” he added.

There is, Mikel admitted, one common criticism. Tielemans won’t win many footraces.

“The only thing people can say is that he’s not the quickest,” he conceded, before immediately dismantling the concern. The Belgian, he argued, compensates with sharp anticipation and elite game intelligence, “very intelligent with and without the ball.”

When Mikel scanned the list of midfielders who moved clubs this summer, one name sat above the rest. “When I look at all the midfielders that have transferred to different clubs [this summer], the best one is Tielemans.”

Alderweireld: The Risk-Taker United Have Been Missing

If Mikel focused on Tielemans’ brain and versatility, Toby Alderweireld zoomed in on his bravery.

The former Tottenham Hotspur defender, who knows Tielemans from their shared years in the Belgian setup, believes United have signed a midfielder who plays the game the right way for a club of that size – always looking forward, always trying to break lines.

Speaking to Hajper, Alderweireld took aim at the obsession with raw numbers. “The problem with modern football is that sometimes we look too much at stats like assists and goals,” he said. Tielemans can provide both – he can score from distance, he can take free kicks, he can create – but that, Alderweireld stressed, is only part of the story.

“Tielemans is a link up player, and you have to watch him to understand why he is so important to his teams, not just look at his stats,” he explained. The key detail? He doesn’t hide. He doesn’t play safe. He doesn’t inflate his passing numbers by rolling the ball backwards.

“You have some midfield players who have a pass success rate of 98% but they are always playing the ball backwards,” Alderweireld said. Tielemans is the opposite. “Tielemans is a guy who turns, opens up and plays the ball between the lines, and that’s very important for a club like Manchester United who need to break other teams down.”

That willingness to risk possession for progression is exactly what Old Trafford has often lacked in recent years, especially against low blocks. Too many sideways passes. Not enough incision. Tielemans, Alderweireld argued, lives in that space between caution and chaos, where games are actually won.

Even when Tielemans drops deep, Alderweireld insisted, his mindset doesn’t change. “Even when he’s playing in a deep role, he’s playing it in an attacking way. He’s thinking about going forwards, always.”

Of course, that kind of ambition comes with a cost. He will lose the ball at times. He will misplace a risky pass. But for Alderweireld, that’s exactly what United need – a midfielder prepared to make things happen, not just keep things neat.

“Sometimes he will lose the ball but that’s what happens when you take some risks in games to make things happen,” he said, before landing on the core of his argument: Tielemans has the mentality to carry that responsibility “under the big pressure of the shirt.”

Alderweireld painted a picture of a player who won’t shrink at Old Trafford. “He will put in ultra big effort and say to his team-mates, give me the ball and let me change the game for you. He will take the responsibility to take Manchester United forward.”

Between Mikel’s disbelief at the fee and Alderweireld’s admiration for his courage, a clear theme emerges: United haven’t just bought another midfielder. They’ve brought in a player expected to grab games, and perhaps even this team, by the scruff of the neck.