Youri Tielemans is being framed as an absolute bargain for Manchester United, and the price is a big part of why. He cost £35m via a release clause, and Nick Miller says he will prove to be that rare summer signing who feels cheap almost as soon as the ink dries. On the other side of the debate, Johan Manzambi is the one that got away from Newcastle, according to Stuart James, after a move that had already moved further than most summer chases.

Tielemans' value case

The numbers behind Tielemans are not subtle. He has a 7.44 rating across five appearances and 494 minutes, with two goals already from midfield. That is the kind of output that makes a £35m release-clause deal look well judged rather than merely acceptable.

Nick Miller’s view was simple enough: "I reckon Tielemans will prove to be an absolute bargain for Manchester United." He put that next to praise for other players in the same discussion, but the headline was the fee-to-output gap. For a club trying to add quality without wasting money, that is exactly the sort of signing supporters want to see.

Newcastle's miss on Manzambi

Stuart James was even more direct on the other side of the comparison. "As it stands, I’m going for Manzambi, the one that got away from Newcastle’s point of view and a player who was a joy to watch at the World Cup." Newcastle had already struck a club-to-club agreement with Freiburg in early July, which makes the eventual hijack feel especially painful for them.

The fee attached to Manzambi, £59.5m including add-ons, is heavier than Tielemans' number, but that is only part of the story. Manzambi’s 7.61 rating, three goals and two assists in four appearances are the sort of figures that explain why he was treated as such an attractive target. Aston Villa ending up with the move leaves Newcastle looking as if they let a good one slip.

The cleanest read here is that United may have found value, while Newcastle may be left thinking about what might have been. Tielemans is already delivering enough to support the bargain label, and Manzambi’s early output makes the missed deal look expensive for Newcastle before either player has settled into a new club context.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →