Youri Tielemans has joined Manchester United in a £35m deal that triggered a release clause so discreet even a key figure involved in brokering his original move to Aston Villa was unaware of its existence, according to The Athletic.
The 29-year-old Belgium captain signed a five-year contract at Old Trafford, becoming United’s third summer signing after Andrey Santos and goalkeeper Karl Darlow. His arrival came as United put a proposed move for Atalanta midfielder Ederson on hold.
“Man Utd sign Tielemans from Aston Villa for £35m via secret release clause unknown to key Villa staff.”
Tielemans, who has made 244 Premier League appearances, joined Villa on a free transfer from Leicester in 2023. But the release clause, inserted into his contract, allowed United to prise him away for a substantial profit for the Midlands club.
Despite Villa’s desire to keep him, the player’s decision was straightforward — though he insisted on speaking with manager Unai Emery before entering discussions. After that conversation, the transfer moved swiftly.
“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.”
The midfielder, who scored Leicester’s winner in the 2021 FA Cup final and Aston Villa’s Europa League final winner against Freiburg in May, will wear the number 18 shirt vacated by Casemiro. He made his senior debut for Anderlecht aged 16 and has played 668 games for club and country, scoring 79 goals from 578 club appearances.
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.”
Last season, Tielemans was restricted to 35 appearances by calf and ankle problems, his lowest tally in England. At the World Cup, he scored a memorable 89th-minute equaliser for Belgium against Senegal and a penalty in extra time against Spain, but his tournament ended when he was injured in the warm-up before the quarter-final defeat by Spain.
Now fully fit, Tielemans joins a midfield overhaul that includes Andrey Santos from Chelsea, with the club pulling out of a deal for Ederson. The move, which had been mooted in previous windows, finally aligned — and Villa, despite their best efforts, could not stop it.