Midfield legend Michael Carrick, in his permanent position as Man Utd manager, has had to see one top goal after another of the midfield disappear. Anderson to Manchester City, Fernandes and Tonali to Tottenham. This week came the upturn.
For many United supporters, the signing of Youri Tielemans came as a complete surprise. Not many people had realized that the Belgian Aston Villa star was once on his wish list. This signing could actually prove to be United’s best this summer.
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English Goal draws the analysis from both Aston Villa’s and Manchester United’s perspective:
“A bitter blow for Aston Villa. Tielemans’ propensity to pick up injuries has long been a source of frustration at Villa Park, but when he is fit, he is a fantastic footballer and there is no reason to overstate his importance to Unai Emery’s game plan last season. The Spaniard’s side struggled mightily while Tielemans was sidelined with an ankle injury earlier this year, winning just one of the seven Premier League games they played without the Belgian. Then, on his return to the starting line-up, Villa finished the season by finishing fourth in the Premier League and winning the Europa League, with Tielemans scoring a spectacular goal in the final. Given that he also had two years left on his contract, it is very tough to lose him for just £35 million – especially since Amadou Onana is facing a long period on the sidelines with a cruciate ligament injury.”
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“For United: A very pleasant surprise. There had been no indication that United were planning a move for Tielemans until it emerged that the transfer was close to competition. Consequently, they deserve credit for having moved so decisively and so stealthily. Tielemans clearly doesn’t fit into the age profile United were looking for this summer, and he certainly has a lot to offer, even for a 29-year-old. But his arrival will ease some of the panic around Old Trafford after the Ederson deal collapsed, Manuel Ugarte suffered a serious injury on Uruguay duty, and United were priced out of deals for their biggest transfer targets in midfield, Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes. Tielemans is a “proven” Premier League player who emphasized his class at the World Cup. He will thus add much-needed depth, experience, versatility and quality to United’s midfield following Casemiro’s departure at the end of last season, and for this money he could end up being one of the signings of the season.”
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