Youri Tielemans has spoken warmly about his time at Aston Villa but made clear that joining Manchester United represents a step up in his career, describing the club as one that sits above his former side in the football hierarchy.
The Belgium international completed a move to Old Trafford this summer on a five-year contract after United triggered his £35m release clause while he was away on World Cup duty. It marked the third occasion United had shown serious interest in the 29-year-old midfielder, having previously considered a move in 2019 following his loan spell at Leicester City, and again in 2022 when the club were preoccupied with a prolonged pursuit of Frenkie de Jong.
Speaking in his first in-depth interview since the transfer, Tielemans revealed he had not anticipated the move happening this time around. "There had been two times that I spoke with the club, but it did not achieve anything," he said. "I was very calm. I was not expecting much this summer, to be fair. I was just focused on my football, focused on the World Cup and trying to perform my best for my country. But you know every summer something can happen, and obviously I was aware of the clause."
Despite his excitement over the switch, Tielemans was keen to express gratitude toward Aston Villa, where he rediscovered top form and helped the club triumph in the Europa League, scoring the opener in the final win over Freiburg. "I am very thankful to Aston Villa. I owe them the world. It is a great club, we did amazing things, and they have put me back to my best level. But there are clubs above Villa, and Manchester United is one of them," he said. He added that reaching United is a significant milestone in his career, but stressed that his ambitions do not stop there, saying he wants to achieve sustained success at the club.
Early signs from United's pre-season have suggested Tielemans could form an effective partnership in midfield with captain Bruno Fernandes. The pair have already shown promising chemistry despite playing just 26 minutes together during a 1-1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain in Gothenburg. "It's really natural," Tielemans said of the connection. "He is a guy that can find space easily. I just try and find him so that he can move forward."
The midfielder also addressed his fitness after having to withdraw from Belgium's World Cup quarter-final against Spain due to a physical issue during the warm-up, a moment that followed a punishing run of matches including extra time against Senegal. "I feel very good, actually," he explained. "In that last game, it was just an overload of too many games; too many minutes. Unfortunately, my body could not cope with it any more." He added that he does not consider himself a player who constantly needs rest, but that he would flag any concerns to his manager if something felt wrong.
Settling into his new surroundings has been made easier by familiar faces, including former Leicester teammate Jonny Evans, who is said to have given head coach Michael Carrick a positive account of Tielemans' character. He also spoke highly of Marcus Rashford, a former teammate at Villa who has returned to United after a difficult spell away from the club. "He was great," Tielemans said of Rashford. "There had been so much talk about him, bringing pressure and the media around him, but he was so good... from the first training session you could tell his touch and acceleration was just amazing."
On his early impressions of working under Carrick, Tielemans said he has been given license to play with freedom in midfield. "He wants me to be free on the pitch, to try and organise the team the best I can," he said, adding that despite tactical differences from what he is used to, the approach felt logical to him.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.