Manchester United midfielder Youri Tielemans revealed he did not expect to leave Aston Villa this summer.
Tielemans completed a £35m move to Old Trafford after United triggered a release clause in the Belgium captain’s Villa contract.
The 29-year-old made 134 appearances for Villa, scoring 10 goals and providing 24 assists, while he also netted in their Europa League final win over Freiburg last season.
Among Villa players in the top flight in 2025-26, only Matty Cash (66) attempted more tackles than Tielemans (58), though the Belgian won the most in the team (36).
Tielemans has twice been linked with a move to United in the past, though it was not a transfer he expected to go through in this window.
“There has been two times that I spoke with the club, but it did not achieve anything so I was just very calm about it,” Tielemans said.
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— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 12, 2026
“It was mainly my agent that was dealing with it, I was more so focused on the World Cup, which was a big thing for me.
“When it was time that it was accepted and acceptable, I would say then I was made aware.
“I was not expecting much [a summer move], to be fair. I was just focused on my football, focused on the World Cup, trying to perform as best as I could for my country. Then every summer something can happen.
“We [Villa] achieved the Europa League win which was great for the club but there are still clubs above Aston Villa, and Manchester United is one of them.
“Aston Villa is a great club and I owe them the world. They have put me back at my best level so I am very thankful.”
Tielemans made his first appearance in a United shirt during their 1-1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain in pre-season.
The Red Devils get their Premier League campaign underway on August 22, when they travel to newly promoted Hull City.
