Teddy Sheringham has questioned Manchester United's decision to sign Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa for £35 million, insisting the 29-year-old midfielder is 'not good enough' for Michael Carrick's side.
Sheringham's criticism of the Tielemans deal
Speaking to MetBonus, Sheringham argued that United missed their chance to sign elite midfielders earlier in the summer window. 'Manchester United have already missed their opportunity to sign the other midfielder they needed because all the big players have gone now,' he said. 'If you want the best, you have to go and pay for it. We've seen it over the years. Look back to Sir Alex Ferguson's time in charge. He went and broke the bank to go and get these top young players who were going to lead by example.'
Sheringham questioned Tielemans' mentality: 'Is Youri Tielemans going to lead by example or is he going to go into United to have a bit of fun, enjoy the ride, feeling happy to be there? No. He's not going to change everyone's view of Manchester United or demand more and take them back to the top. He's going to make them OK, and that's never good enough for a club like Manchester United.'
Carragher shares reservations about the transfer
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher also expressed doubts about the signing on The Overlap. 'The thing with Tielemans, I was watching the Super Cup and I'd just seen that Man United were on ITV playing Leeds, so I put it on. It just came to me a little bit – Tielemans was taking a corner, and it come to me, he's a good player, don't get me wrong. But you'd almost feel like he should have been at United a few years ago, then gone to Villa – not being at Villa, then gone to United. I'm not saying he's had his best days, but it almost felt like the wrong way round. The last three years should have been at United, and then he gets sold to Villa.'
United made central midfield a priority this summer after Casemiro's departure at the end of last season. The club was linked with Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali, and Mateus Fernandes, but saw its efforts gazumped by Manchester City and Tottenham. Instead, United signed Andrey Santos from Chelsea and Tielemans from Aston Villa.
United's pursuit of Carlos Baleba
Despite the criticism, United are poised to sign their third central midfielder of the summer window, with reports indicating they are close to agreeing a deal for Carlos Baleba. The Red Devils have held a long-standing interest in the Brighton midfielder and have lodged an initial bid in the region of £60 million plus £5 million in add-ons. While that offer is below Brighton's valuation, both clubs are keen to finalise a deal for the 22-year-old Cameroon international.
Former United midfielder Nicky Butt had praised the Tielemans deal as the 'signing of the summer,' but Sheringham remains unconvinced, urging the club to aim higher in future windows.
