Manchester United are expected to continue strengthening their midfield despite completing the signing of Andrey Santos and closing in on the acquisition of Belgium international Youri Tielemans.
The club confirmed the arrival of Santos from Chelsea in a deal worth £48 million, while Tielemans is set to undergo a medical ahead of a proposed £35 million move from Aston Villa, although the fee has not been officially confirmed by either club.
Despite the two additions, United are still prioritising the recruitment of a specialist defensive midfielder to fill the void left by Casemiro’s departure at the end of last season.
Manager Michael Carrick is understood to be keen on adding an experienced holding midfielder, with Santos viewed as a long-term prospect after making only 13 Premier League starts during his career.
Tielemans, although capable of operating in a deeper role, is regarded primarily as a box-to-box midfielder rather than a natural defensive anchor.
Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes questioned whether Tielemans and Kobbie Mainoo could effectively play together in midfield.
“I can’t see Tielemans and Kobbie Mainoo playing together. They might still need two in there,” Scholes said on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast.
The impending arrival of Tielemans has, however, received strong backing from former United midfielder Nicky Butt, who described the deal as excellent value.
“£35 million for him is a phenomenal signing,” Butt said, adding that United needed greater squad depth to compete across all competitions.
Tielemans arrives with vast experience, having made his senior debut for Anderlecht at just 16 years old. The 29-year-old has since amassed 668 appearances for club and country, winning the FA Cup with Leicester City and helping Aston Villa lift the Europa League title last season.
His campaign was disrupted by calf and ankle injuries, limiting him to 35 appearances, before suffering another setback at the World Cup when an injury ruled him out before Belgium’s quarter-final defeat to Spain.
Meanwhile, United have also strengthened their goalkeeping department by signing Wales international Karl Darlow on a two-year contract, with the option of a further year.
Darlow joins as a free agent after leaving Leeds United and is expected to provide competition and experienced cover following the anticipated departure of Turkish goalkeeper Altay Bayindir.
The 35-year-old said he was proud to join the club and looked forward to working alongside United’s goalkeepers to maintain the high standards expected at Old Trafford.
With first-choice goalkeeper Senne Lammens currently on an extended break following Belgium’s World Cup campaign, Darlow is expected to feature during United’s pre-season programme, which begins against Wrexham in Helsinki on July 18.
