Manchester United Transfer News: Latest Youri Tielemans, Anthony Martial Rumours

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has reportedly decided on his long-term replacement for Michael Carrick—Belgian prodigy Youri Tielemans.

That’s according to Tuttomercatoweb (h/t Rhys Turrell of the Daily Star), who claim that with Carrick fast approaching the twilight of his career, United are on the hunt for someone to fill the void; the Anderlecht man is said to have been cited as a potential candidate.

As we can see here, there’s a lot to like about Tielemans, who has already made a huge impression for Anderlecht despite being in the nascent stages of his career:

During the final embers of Sir Alex Ferguson’s United career, the team were a little short when it came to central midfield positions. But Van Gaal has bolstered this area of the pitch emphatically with players like Bastian Schweinsteiger, Morgan Schneiderlin, Ander Herrera and Daley Blind. 

Carrick is a player who has attributes that Van Gaal clearly values, though. However, as noted here by Oliver Kay of the Times, the veteran is a player who suffers far too much with injuries to be relied upon at the moment:

Tielemans does have the qualities to be a potential long-term successor, although his eventual home may be in a more advanced role in midfield. Indeed, while the 18-year-old can ping a pass from a withdrawn position, he’s a player who can dribble with the ball, commit opposition players and make critical contributions in the attacking third.

VI-Images/Getty Images

As noted by Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe, Tielemans signed a new deal with the Belgian Pro League club recently, a decision that seemed like a wise one:

Indeed, Tielemans seems to have a composed head to match his supreme talent and will be acutely aware that there’s no rush for him to go elsewhere. At Anderlecht, he’s a key player in his boyhood club; as a teenager and a fan, you suspect he’s loving every minute of the experience for the time being.

Lyon Pocket Anthony Martial Windfall

Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

Although Monaco were heavily compensated for the sale of Anthony Martial earlier in the year, his former team, Lyon, are poised to pick up a healthy sum thanks to a clause inserted into the youngster’s contract when they sold him to the principality club.

The Lyon president, Jean-Michel Aulas, revealed the agreement to the press during his club’s annual financial review, per RMC (h/t Tom Coast of Sport Witness):

"

The rule that was established when we sold Anthony to Monaco, is that we would get 20% of any profit above €10 million (£7.5 million), meaning that if the global transfer fee is €50 million (£37 million), that’s 20% of €40 (£29.75 million), so €8 million (£6 million).

And as you know, there’s €30 million (£22.25 million) of clauses that are linked to Martial’s performances, and as part of that, we are getting 20% of the €30 million (£22.25 million), which will probably be earned over the next 3 to 4 years, so an extra €6 million (£4.5 million) to add to the €8 million (£6 million) we’ve already received.

"

PHILIPPE DESMAZES/Getty Images

Overall, according to Coast, it means Monaco could potentially lose out on €15 million (£11 million) of the maximum €80 million (£59.5 million) that Martial could cost; circa €14 million (£10.5 million) to Lyon and some nominal amounts to his former youth club, CO Les Ulis.

It won’t matter much to United supporters, who have watched their new No. 9 tear up the Premier League since signing earlier in the year. As noted by Bleacher Report’s Paul Ansorge, the young Frenchman has yet to have a bad display since making his record-breaking move:

Granted, the monetary sums involved in the deal are absurd, but if Martial can preserve and improve these levels for years to come, in terms of longevity, the transfer will begin to look increasingly savvy. After all, the Frenchman doesn’t turn 20 until December, meaning he could be the club’s starting centre-forward for the best part of the next decade.

Lyon will be delighted to have been so handsomely compensated, while Monaco will still be pretty pleased with the amounts they recouped, even after other parties have had their share. It’s a windfall they should each be looking to invest in their infrastructure to promote organic growth, which could potentially forge the next French wonderkid.