Manchester United completed a loan deal for Bayern Munich midfielder Marcel Sabitzer on deadline day but Leicester City's Youri Tielemans could have been the better option for Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford.

Following the injury suffered by Christian Eriksen in last weekend's FA Cup win over Reading, it quickly became clear that United needed to recruit another central midfielder before the deadline shut, as the Denmark international looks set to be sidelined for three months.

There was a host of names linked with a switch to Old Trafford but in the end, it was Sabitzer who would make the move, joining on a loan deal from Bayern Munich until the end of the season.

However, the Red Devils were also linked with Tielemans, and the Belgium international would have arguably been a better heir to Eriksen in this United side, considering his vast experience in the Premier League and current contract situation with the Foxes.

The former Monaco man was touted as a potential option for Ten Hag and could have joined for a relatively small fee, considering he looks set to leave the King Power Stadium for free at the end of the season when his deal expires.

Even in a poor Leicester side, Tielemans has caught the eye with his performances this season, contributing three goals and one assist in 20 top-flight appearances, averaging a strong 6.88 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

With that in mind, it is no surprise that Brendan Rodgers has sung his praises, most notably back in 2021, saying:

"He came in January 2019 and he has progressed into one of Europe's top midfielders. He's only going to get better. An incredible professional."

Sabitzer, meanwhile, has struggled for game time since his move to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2021, contributing just one goal and one assist in 15 Bundesliga appearances this season, eight of which have come from the bench.

This has seen him earn a disappointing 6.68 rating from WhoScored for his performances in the German top flight, while he has also averaged fewer shots (one vs 1.2), key passes (0.4 vs 1.6) and tackles (1.8 vs 2.2) than Tielemans this season, which suggests again that the Leicester man would have been a better option.

Therefore, considering Sabitzer is only joining on loan and Tielemans could have been a bargain, permanent option for the Red Devils, Ten Hag should have pushed for the Belgian instead.