Neville and Scholes back Tielemans as United's midfield masterstroke – 'Rivals have every right to worry'

Manchester United's third summer signing is already drawing praise from club legends, though not without a caveat that Erik ten Hag's side may need to keep shopping.

Youri Tielemans completed his medical on Tuesday after United triggered the 29-year-old's £35m release clause at Aston Villa. He joins fellow arrivals Andrey Santos and Karl Darlow in what promises to be a busy transfer window for the Old Trafford hierarchy.

Paul Scholes was effusive about the Belgian midfielder's quality, describing the fee as "a phenomenal signing" and commending the recruitment team's efficiency. Yet the former United midfielder struck a note of caution about the squad's overall composition, insisting the club still requires two additional midfielders to properly challenge across all four competitions.

"I can't see Tielemans and Kobbie Mainoo playing together," Scholes noted on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast, suggesting that whilst Tielemans brings invaluable Premier League experience and nous, United's engine room remains short of what's required.

Scholes acknowledged the newcomer's credentials, calling him "a very, very good player," but the underlying message was clear: one signing, however shrewd, doesn't complete the midfield jigsaw.

Gary Neville took a different angle, arguing that Aston Villa's desperation to keep hold of their star player speaks volumes about his worth. The release clause—worth €41 million—essentially forced Villa's hand, Neville reasoned, when they would have otherwise spent the entire summer inflating the asking price.

"Since Aston Villa are worried, everyone else would be worried," Neville said. "Without that release clause, you're looking at negotiations starting at 'not for sale,' moving to €71 million, then probably finishing somewhere above that."

The former United captain suggested the real difficulty in completing the deal was ensuring Tielemans remained available to answer the phone when United came calling. Villa, by contrast, never had the opportunity to negotiate properly.

United's rivals, Neville implied, should take note of a club moving decisively in the transfer market—particularly one that's managed to land a player of genuine pedigree at a price that, in today's inflated market, represents genuine value.