Manchester United have strengthened their midfield with the signing of Belgian international Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa after triggering the 29-year-old’s £35 million release clause. The midfielder has signed a five-year contract at Old Trafford and will wear the number 18 shirt previously held by Casemiro, who departed the club following the expiry of his contract.
Tielemans arrives after spending the past three seasons at Aston Villa, having first joined the Premier League with Leicester City in 2019. His move comes on the back of an impressive campaign in which he helped Belgium reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
Speaking after completing the transfer, Tielemans expressed his delight at joining the club.
“It’s hard to describe just how proud I am to join Manchester United,” he said. “Signing for such a special club feels incredible.
“It is the culmination of years of dedication since I first fell in love with football.”
United’s director of football, Jason Wilcox, welcomed the midfielder, highlighting both his quality and experience.
“Youri has consistently been one of the most outstanding midfielders in the Premier League throughout the past seven years,” Wilcox said.
“He has all of the technical qualities, as well as the ambition and mentality, to thrive at Manchester United.
“Youri’s consistency is exceptional, and he will add further composure, creativity and leadership to our squad.”
Tielemans brings a wealth of experience despite still being in his twenties. He made his senior debut for Anderlecht at just 16 years and 82 days before moving to Monaco in 2017. Across his career, he has featured in 668 matches for club and country, scoring 79 goals, including 79 from 578 club appearances.
The Belgian is remembered for scoring Leicester City’s winning goal against Chelsea in the 2021 FA Cup final and later netting for Aston Villa in their Europa League final victory over Freiburg in May.
Although injuries to his calf and ankle limited him to 35 appearances last season—his lowest total since arriving in England—Tielemans also made his mark on the international stage.
He scored a dramatic 89th-minute equaliser against Senegal at the World Cup before converting an extra-time penalty winner in Belgium’s next match. However, his tournament ended early after suffering an injury during the warm-up before Belgium’s quarter-final defeat to Spain.
Tielemans becomes United’s latest arrival following the signings of midfielder Andrey Santos and goalkeeper Karl Darlow, while the club’s pursuit of Atalanta midfielder Ederson has reportedly been put on hold.
