Manchester United Complete £35m Signing Of Youri Tielemans
Manchester United have completed the signing of Belgian midfielder Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa on a five-year contract after activating his reported £35 million release clause.
The 29-year-old arrives at Old Trafford after three seasons with Villa, having previously established himself in the Premier League with Leicester City following his move from Monaco in 2019.
Expressing his delight after completing the transfer, Tielemans said joining Manchester United was a dream come true.
“It’s hard to describe just how proud I am to join Manchester United. Signing for such a special club feels incredible. It is the culmination of years of dedication since I first fell in love with football.”
The Belgium international will wear the No. 18 shirt, which became available following Casemiro's departure at the end of last season.
Tielemans built a reputation as one of the Premier League's most accomplished midfielders, famously scoring Leicester City's winning goal against Chelsea in the 2021 FA Cup final.
He also played a key role in Aston Villa's Europa League triumph over Freiburg earlier this year.
Having made his senior debut for Anderlecht at just 16 years old, Tielemans later moved to Monaco before beginning a successful spell in England.
Despite still being in his twenties, he has amassed 668 senior appearances for club and country, scoring 79 goals, including 15 in 90 appearances for Belgium.
Manchester United director of football Jason Wilcox welcomed the midfielder, describing him as one of the league's most consistent performers.
“Youri has consistently been one of the most outstanding midfielders in the Premier League over the past seven years. He possesses the technical quality, ambition and mentality to succeed at Manchester United. His consistency, composure, creativity and leadership will strengthen our squad.”
Although injuries to his calf and ankle limited Tielemans to 35 appearances for Aston Villa last season, he remained an influential figure for Belgium at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
He scored a dramatic late equaliser against Senegal before netting the extra-time winner from the penalty spot in a thrilling 3-2 victory.
However, his tournament ended prematurely after sustaining an injury during the warm-up ahead of Belgium's quarter-final defeat to Spain.
Tielemans becomes Manchester United's latest summer signing following the arrivals of Andrey Santos and Karl Darlow, while the club's pursuit of Atalanta midfielder Ederson has reportedly been placed on hold.
The 29-year-old arrives at Old Trafford after three seasons with Villa, having previously established himself in the Premier League with Leicester City following his move from Monaco in 2019.
Expressing his delight after completing the transfer, Tielemans said joining Manchester United was a dream come true.
“It’s hard to describe just how proud I am to join Manchester United. Signing for such a special club feels incredible. It is the culmination of years of dedication since I first fell in love with football.”
The Belgium international will wear the No. 18 shirt, which became available following Casemiro's departure at the end of last season.
Tielemans built a reputation as one of the Premier League's most accomplished midfielders, famously scoring Leicester City's winning goal against Chelsea in the 2021 FA Cup final.
He also played a key role in Aston Villa's Europa League triumph over Freiburg earlier this year.
Having made his senior debut for Anderlecht at just 16 years old, Tielemans later moved to Monaco before beginning a successful spell in England.
Despite still being in his twenties, he has amassed 668 senior appearances for club and country, scoring 79 goals, including 15 in 90 appearances for Belgium.
Manchester United director of football Jason Wilcox welcomed the midfielder, describing him as one of the league's most consistent performers.
“Youri has consistently been one of the most outstanding midfielders in the Premier League over the past seven years. He possesses the technical quality, ambition and mentality to succeed at Manchester United. His consistency, composure, creativity and leadership will strengthen our squad.”
Although injuries to his calf and ankle limited Tielemans to 35 appearances for Aston Villa last season, he remained an influential figure for Belgium at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
He scored a dramatic late equaliser against Senegal before netting the extra-time winner from the penalty spot in a thrilling 3-2 victory.
However, his tournament ended prematurely after sustaining an injury during the warm-up ahead of Belgium's quarter-final defeat to Spain.
Tielemans becomes Manchester United's latest summer signing following the arrivals of Andrey Santos and Karl Darlow, while the club's pursuit of Atalanta midfielder Ederson has reportedly been placed on hold.
