Frenkie de Jong transfer talks between Manchester United and Barcelona are still ongoing.
If Man Utd is unable to sign Frenkie de Jong, Youri Tielemans is a fantastic backup option (Image)
Frenkie de Jong has been the subject of Manchester United's pursuit for more than a month, but the deal appears to be no closer to completion than it did four weeks ago. The Red Devils believe they have reached an agreement on a base cost with the Catalan superpowers, but it is obvious that they still have a long way to go before signing the Dutchman.
Despite United's claim that they will take as long as they need to sign their top players, time is actually running out.
If it takes it, they are willing to hold out until the very last minute of the transfer window to secure De Jong.
However, there is a viable alternative, a player who would undoubtedly be worth pursuing, hidden under the transfer craziness.
Although Youri Tielemans is reportedly a fan of Erik ten Hag, United does not currently consider him to be a top priority.
Man United should focus on Youri Tielemans (Image)
Arsenal is keeping an eye on the issue, but given his contract position at Leicester, he might be available for as cheap as £25 million this summer.
The Foxes might need some assistance from United as Tielemans has less than a year left on his contract and they are currently having financial difficulties supporting a transfer budget.
Though Tielemans is a midfielder who would bring a lot of talents to the table, this wouldn't just be United doing Leicester a favor.
The former Monaco player is a dead-ball expert who can have an impact on matches from both ends of the field.
He has contributed six goals in each of the last two Premier League campaigns and established a reputation as one of the most reliable midfielders in the division up to this point.
With a single kick of his foot, Tielemans can turn defense into attack and is a superb passer of the ball. He is an expert in his field and will only get better over time, especially if he teams up with superior players.
Given that United are still dragging their feet on a deal for De Jong, his modest price makes this purchase a no-brainer for them.
There is no arguing that De Jong is a better operator, but Tielemans would fit in well with current United team given his knowledge with the Premier League and a 4-3-3 formation.
After last season's disastrous campaign, he is an acquisition that would simply uplift the locker room, and after losing both Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic, United need new midfield players.
Barcelona is more likely to dig their heels in while the De Jong controversy drags on. If Leicester were unable to reach a selling agreement in the upcoming weeks, the same could in fact apply to them.
The likelihood that selling clubs will attempt to mislead United increases the later in the window we are.
If this is going to be a new era at Old Trafford, United simply cannot afford to back themselves into a corner before forking up huge money.
An all too similar feeling has been produced by the transfer market's stagnation, but there is still time to improve their window's slow start. Tielemans would make a fantastic
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