Tielemans Explains Why He Finally Chose Manchester United After Two Failed Attempts

Youri Tielemans has revealed that Manchester United’s move for him this summer came after two previous attempts to take him to Old Trafford fell through.

United first considered signing the Belgian midfielder in 2019, when he was impressing during his loan spell at Leicester City. They returned for him in 2022 but ultimately spent too much time waiting for Frenkie de Jong to decide whether he would leave Barcelona.

The third opportunity finally materialised this summer, with United triggering Tielemans’ £35m release clause while he was on World Cup duty. The 29-year-old subsequently signed a five-year contract after leaving Aston Villa.

“There had been two times that I spoke with the club, but it did not achieve anything,” Tielemans recalled.

“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.”

Tielemans admitted leaving Villa was difficult after rebuilding his career at the club, but said joining United represented an important step.

“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.

“It is a great achievement for any footballer to end up here. It means you have done well in your career. But it does not end there. I want to be successful.”

The midfielder has already offered a glimpse of what he could bring to United, including during his 26-minute appearance alongside captain Bruno Fernandes in the 1-1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain in Gothenburg.

Tielemans believes a partnership with Fernandes can develop naturally, with the Belgian keen to use his passing range to get the Portuguese midfielder into dangerous positions.

“It’s really natural,” he said. “He is a guy that can find space easily. I just try and find him so that he can move forward.”

Goals are another area Tielemans hopes to contribute. He scored the winning goal for Leicester in the 2021 FA Cup final and opened the scoring for Villa in their Europa League triumph over Freiburg in May.

Asked whether he could bring similar goals to United, he replied: “That’s the aim.”

Despite his enthusiasm, Tielemans knows his body must be managed after an exhausting World Cup campaign. He missed Belgium’s quarter-final against Spain after suffering an issue during the warm-up.

“I feel very good, actually,” he said.

“In that last game, it was just an overload of too many games; too many minutes. Unfortunately, my body could not cope with it anymore.

“We played 120 minutes against Senegal, then played the US a few days later; three days after that, we played against Spain.

“In the warm-up, my body just switched off for some reason.”

Tielemans, who made his professional debut for Anderlecht at 16 and has played 668 games for club and country, insists he does not usually need extended rest.

“I do not think I am a player that absolutely needs a rest. Obviously, there are a lot of games, and the manager needs to manage the team, but when I am good, I am good,” he said.

“When it does not go well, I will know straight away, and I will alert the manager. But it does not happen often.”