Youri Tielemans, the Belgian midfielder who completed a surprise transfer to Manchester United this summer, admitted that he did not foresee a move away from Aston Villa when asked about his expectations. "Not really, no," he replied, a response that may surprise many given the speed and low profile of United's acquisition of a player with eight seasons of Premier League experience, secured for a modest £35 million release clause.
In his inaugural interview since donning the red shirt, Tielemans shed light on how the deal materialised, especially after United had expressed interest in him on a few prior occasions. He explained, "There have been two times when I spoke with the club, but nothing came of it, so I stayed very calm about it. It was mainly my agent handling the negotiations; I was concentrating on the World Cup, which was huge for me. When the timing finally aligned and the offer became acceptable, I was informed.
I wasn’t expecting a summer move, to be honest. My focus was on my football and on performing for my country.
Then, as every summer can prove, things can change quickly." Tielemans arrived at Villa as a free agent after Leicester City were relegated to the Championship. Throughout his spells at Leicester and Aston Villa, a move to one of the traditional "top six" clubs never seemed a realistic rumor, making his switch to Manchester United all the more unexpected. When asked whether he thought the chance had slipped away, he responded, "Not really, because I know we did amazing things at Villa. We won the Europa League, which was fantastic for the club, but there are still clubs above us, and Manchester United is one of them.
The atmosphere around United right now is very positive, and I’m hopeful we can create a great story together. Aston Villa is a wonderful club and I owe them a lot—they brought me back to my best level, and I’m extremely grateful." Adjusting to a new environment is always a challenge, but Tielemles found comfort in the presence of a familiar face on United’s staff: former Leicester teammate Jonny Evans, now a key member of Michael Carrick’s backroom team.
When asked about reuniting with Evans, Tielemans smiled broadly and said, "Jonny has always been a main character. He’s great at mentoring young players, he welcomed me at Leicester and now here. It’s a bit odd to see him as a staff member, but it works well – he knows me, knows what I need and what I can bring, so it helps me settle." Another recent teammate who left a mark on Tielemans was England forward Marcus Rashford. The two shared six months at Villa when Rashford was on loan for the latter half of the 2024/25 campaign.
Tielemans recalled their time together fondly, noting, "He was fantastic. There was a lot of media pressure around him, but I thought he was simply very good. He was humble, hardworking, and from the first training session you could see his touch and acceleration were outstanding.
That’s exactly what we needed at Villa, and I hope he can bring the same qualities here at United." Beyond club matters, Tielemans experienced a whirlwind summer on the international stage. He captained Belgium at the World Cup, only to see the team bow out in the quarter‑finals against eventual champions Spain after an injury forced him out of the decisive match. He reassured United supporters about his fitness, explaining, "It was simply an overload of games and minutes.
We played 120 minutes against Senegal, then had a very short turnaround before facing the USA, and again a few days later we met Spain. In the warm‑up for the quarter‑final my body just shut down." Before the injury, Tielemans played a pivotal role for Belgium, scoring twice in the dramatic 2‑1 victory over Senegal in the round of 32.
The round of 16 against the United States proved even more eventful, with a controversial decision to overturn striker Folarin Balogun’s red card and suspend him for the match. Tielemans commented, "We were initially surprised by the reversal of the red card, but ultimately it didn’t change much for us apart from the preparation, because we had to adapt to a different type of player.
We stayed calm, accepted the situation and focused on delivering a good performance, which we did with a 4‑1 win." Overall, Tielemans’ summer has been a blend of unexpected club change, cherished memories of teammates, and a demanding international tournament. He emphasised his readiness for the upcoming Premier League season, stating that despite the physical toll of the World Cup, he feels fully prepared to contribute to Manchester United’s ambitions.
As he settles into his new role, the midfielder looks forward to building on the positive momentum at United, repaying the faith of a club that secured his signature for a modest fee, and adding another chapter to his already impressive career.