John Obi Mikel has made the case bluntly, calling Youri Tielemans Manchester United's best summer signing and a steal at £35 million. Tielemans joined Manchester United from Aston Villa in mid-July through a release clause, and Mikel's point is simple enough, the fee looks light for a midfielder with that sort of profile.
Mikel's verdict on Tielemans
"For me, it's Youri Tielemans. Honestly... how the f*** did Manchester United get him for £35million? That's a f****** steal," Mikel told manchestereveningnews.co.uk. He also said: "He scores goals, he's dangerous from set pieces, he's brilliant on the ball, and he rarely gives it away."
That is a decent summary of why Tielemans stands out. Across five World Cup appearances, he posted a 7.44 average rating and scored two goals, with 494 minutes logged despite the injury concern around the move. Mikel's view is not coming from nowhere, the World Cup numbers fit the praise.
United made Tielemans their third summer signing in 24 hours, after Karl Darlow and Andrey Santos. They only moved for him after ruling out Ederson because of a potential long-term issue that emerged in a medical.
Mikel's final judgement was even clearer. "When I look at all the midfielders that have transferred to different clubs [this summer], the best one is Tielemans."
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
