WHY THE CRITICISM OF MANCHESTER UNITED'S TRANSFER STRATEGY HAS BEEN PROVEN WRONG
Man Utd pulled out of an £85million deal for Mateus Fernandes and took a lot of criticism for doing so, but that stance has been justified.
Manchester United are set to sign Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos for a combined £85million
Manchester United will spend about the same amount to sign two midfielders, two weeks after choosing against paying £85 million for Mateus Fernandes.
United abandoned any attempts to sign Fernandes after determining that paying West Ham the full amount up front and paying him about £250,000 per week wasn't the best use of their resources.
They received a lot of backlash for that decision, especially after losing out on Elliot Anderson, and it appeared as though their transfer window was in jeopardy. By the end of June, their top two midfield targets had moved on.
Now those anxieties have subsided. After signing from Chelsea for £50 million, Andrey Santos signed a five-year contract. Youri Tielemans is expected to follow, with United in advanced negotiations to sign the Belgium international for £35 million.
United seems to have the finest bargain there, for sure. Despite having a lot of skill, Fernandes is only 21 years old, has only one cap for Portugal, and has been demoted to West Ham and Southampton in back-to-back seasons.
You don't get the impression that Fernandes is a game-changer just yet, but Tottenham has taken a chance on turning that potential into certified star status. You might argue the same thing about Santos, who is 22 years old, but his price is far lower.
With Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez in front of him, it makes sense that he had difficulty breaking into the Chelsea team. He has already earned six caps for Brazil and is the kind of player United is looking for because he combines exceptional technical skill with the muscle and power to cover every blade of grass in midfield.
In essence, United signed Tielemans with the money they saved by switching from Fernandes to Santos. The 29-year-old midfielder for Aston Villa is a ready-made starter and a proven player at the top level of the Premier League.
He just guided Belgium to the quarterfinals of the World Cup, where the Red Devils advanced without Tielemans due to a slight injury. He did a fantastic job.
He replaces some of the experience that departed the building with Casemiro's departure, despite being older than many of United's other midfield targets. He appears to be a top-tier teammate for Kobbie Mainoo and has experience playing as a No. 6 and No. 8 in the Premier League.
Importantly, after learning of Old Trafford's interest, Tielemans also desired to relocate to United. He has had a fantastic career thus far, winning the FA Cup with Leicester City and the Europa League with Villa and scoring in both finals, but his resume does not include a genuinely great club.
That will change if he moves to United, and after seeing him take charge of the Belgium squad this summer, it is obvious that he should have an opportunity to compete at the top level of the club game. When healthy, he may be a consistent starter alongside Mainoo and provide a lot to the United midfield.
The fact that United signed Santos and Tielemans with little fanfare or build-up also tells a lot about their current transfer operation. They have made deals quickly on both occasions, and even though the moves for Anderson and Fernandes proved difficult, this demonstrates that they can be decisive when the right conditions are met.
Now those anxieties have subsided. After signing from Chelsea for £50 million, Andrey Santos signed a five-year contract. Youri Tielemans is expected to follow, with United in advanced negotiations to sign the Belgium international for £35 million.
United seems to have the finest bargain there, for sure. Despite having a lot of skill, Fernandes is only 21 years old, has only one cap for Portugal, and has been demoted to West Ham and Southampton in back-to-back seasons.
You don't get the impression that Fernandes is a game-changer just yet, but Tottenham has taken a chance on turning that potential into certified star status. You might argue the same thing about Santos, who is 22 years old, but his price is far lower.
With Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez in front of him, it makes sense that he had difficulty breaking into the Chelsea team. He has already earned six caps for Brazil and is the kind of player United is looking for because he combines exceptional technical skill with the muscle and power to cover every blade of grass in midfield.
In essence, United signed Tielemans with the money they saved by switching from Fernandes to Santos. The 29-year-old midfielder for Aston Villa is a ready-made starter and a proven player at the top level of the Premier League.
He just guided Belgium to the quarterfinals of the World Cup, where the Red Devils advanced without Tielemans due to a slight injury. He did a fantastic job.
Importantly, after learning of Old Trafford's interest, Tielemans also desired to relocate to United. He has had a fantastic career thus far, winning the FA Cup with Leicester City and the Europa League with Villa and scoring in both finals, but his resume does not include a genuinely great club.
That will change if he moves to United, and after seeing him take charge of the Belgium squad this summer, it is obvious that he should have an opportunity to compete at the top level of the club game. When healthy, he may be a consistent starter alongside Mainoo and provide a lot to the United midfield.
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