Manchester United's Smart £35m Tielemans Signing and Lammens' Goalkeeping Impact
Shay Given has branded Manchester United’s £35 million move for Youri Tielemans “a really good piece of business” and believes the Belgian offers far better value than some of the Premier League’s biggest recent midfield arrivals.
Speaking to BOYLE Sports, the former Newcastle and Republic of Ireland goalkeeper argued that United have played the market smartly while others have paid a premium.
He pointed straight at the numbers. Sandro Tonali at £100m. Bruno Guimaraes at £75m. Tielemans at £35m.
“To sign Tielemans for £35 million when Sandro Tonali was £100 million, well that’s actually a really good piece of business because United are getting a really experienced player for club and country,” Given said.
For him, the context at Aston Villa only underlines the value. Villa picked Tielemans up on a free, then were forced into a sale for financial reasons, a situation Given described as “frustrating” for a club with two billionaire owners but bound by regulations.
United, in his eyes, have stepped into that gap at exactly the right time. A seasoned international, Premier League proven, still with years ahead of him, for roughly a third of Tonali’s fee and less than half of Guimaraes’.
Lammens hailed as United’s most complete keeper since De Gea
Given’s praise did not stop in midfield. He is just as emphatic about Senne Lammens, going as far as to call him the most complete goalkeeper Old Trafford has seen since David De Gea left.
“I think Senne Lammens has got the lot,” he said. “He’s been a breath of fresh air for Manchester United.”
Given admitted he was surprised Ruben Amorim did not throw Lammens straight into the side as soon as he arrived, particularly with Andre Onana and Altay Bayındır failing to convince.
“The first Manchester derby after they signed him could have been his first game,” Given pointed out, recalling how Manchester City had no hesitation in starting Gianluigi Donnarumma immediately. Amorim, he felt, held back because of Lammens’ age and lack of experience in such a high‑stakes fixture.
Given would have taken the risk.
“I would have chucked him in too because he plays with such a calmness. Nothing seems to faze him.”
World Cup error, lasting scars – and a stronger goalkeeper
Lammens’ rise has not been without trauma. His high‑profile World Cup mistake – a fumble that led to his country’s elimination – has followed him, but Given believes the incident will harden, not break, the 24‑year‑old.
“He was really unfortunate at the World Cup,” Given reflected. For a goalkeeper, coming off the bench is a different kind of challenge. No time to grow into the game. No simple passes to get a feel for the ball.
“If you’re a midfielder, you can get the ball, pass it back and get a feel for the game. The first thing Lammens had to do was deal with a shot he would save 99 times out of a 100 and hold on to it.”
Yes, Lammens warmed up on the touchline. But that first shot was the first real contact he’d had with the ball in “probably two hours”, Given noted. The fumble was costly, brutal in its consequences, and the goalkeeper will carry “mental scars” from it.
The reaction since, though, has impressed him. Lammens has returned to Manchester United, back into a structured environment, with time and space to process what happened and rebuild.
Trust restored between the posts
United supporters have spent years fretting about the goalkeeping position, cycling through options without ever quite settling. Given is convinced those days are over.
“I like Senne Lammens a lot, I really do,” he said. “I don’t think United have any problems when it comes to his position now in goal and they’ve got it wrong so many times in the past.”
What stands out for him is not just the shot‑stopping, but the effect on those in front of Lammens. A back line that suddenly looks calmer. Defenders who feel protected rather than exposed.
“He’s the sort of goalkeeper that walks onto the pitch and makes everyone feel more secure,” Given added. “They all feel they can trust him. They know he’s going to be a seven or eight out of 10 at least and is going to save them.”
Between a cut‑price midfield lynchpin in Tielemans and a goalkeeper Given believes can finally end the revolving door in goal, United’s recruitment, so often questioned, has a very different look. Now the question is simple: can this blend of value and reliability drag the club back to where it expects to be?
