Manchester United have completed the signing of Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa for about £35m, the club confirmed on Tuesday, as the Belgian midfielder declared he was determined to “push for the biggest trophies” after joining on a five-year deal.
The 29-year-old, who has 90 caps for Belgium and scored twice at the World Cup before his country were eliminated by Spain in the quarter-finals, becomes United’s third signing of the summer following the arrivals of midfielder Andrey Santos and goalkeeper Karl Darlow.
“Manchester United complete signing of Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa for £35m on a five-year deal.”
“It’s hard to describe just how proud I am to join Manchester United,” Tielemans 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.”
Tielemans, who scored Leicester’s winner in the 2021 FA Cup final and Aston Villa’s opening goal in their Europa League final triumph over Freiburg in May, has been brought in to fill the void left by Casemiro, who departed as a free agent at the end of last season. United’s director of football, Jason Wilcox, said: “Youri has consistently been one of the most outstanding midfielders in the Premier League throughout the past seven years. He has all of the technical qualities, as well as the ambition and mentality, to thrive at Manchester United.”
The move comes after United activated a release clause in Tielemans’ contract at Villa. The fee is understood to be £35m. Tielemans will wear the number 18 shirt vacated by Casemiro.
Tielemans’ arrival follows a busy start to the transfer window at Old Trafford, with Santos joining from Chelsea for £48m plus potential add-ons. A move for Atalanta midfielder Ederson has been put on hold.
Last season, Tielemans was restricted to 35 appearances in all competitions for Villa due to calf and ankle problems, but still managed to contribute seven assists and break more defensive lines per 100 passes than any other Premier League midfielder or attacker, according to Wilcox’s analysis. “Youri’s consistency is exceptional, and he will add further composure, creativity and leadership to our squad,” Wilcox added.
Tielemans, who made his senior debut for Anderlecht aged 16, has played 668 games for club and country, scoring 79 goals. He now links up again with former teammate Jonny Evans, now a first-team coach at United. “The ambition from everyone at the club is extremely clear; we are all determined to push for the biggest trophies over the coming years,” Tielemans said.
