Manchester United have triggered a £36million release clause in Youri Tielemans' contract at Aston Villa, moving to sign the 29-year-old Belgium international in a surprise swoop. Michael Carrick, seeking to bolster his midfield options, is close to landing the pass master, whose Villa Park deal runs until 2028.
Anderlecht Prodigy to Premier League Star
Tielemans began his career at Anderlecht, signing his first professional contract at age 16. He became the fourth-youngest player in Belgian Pro League history and the youngest Belgian to play in the Champions League, debuting against Olympiacos at 16 years and 148 days in 2013. He helped Anderlecht win the Belgian Pro League in his debut season, claimed the Belgian Young Player of the Year award in each of his first two seasons, and won the title again in 2016/17, being named Belgian Professional Footballer of the Year.
In May 2017, Tielemans joined Monaco for around £21m on a five-year deal, but struggled in Ligue 1 and was branded a flop. However, in January 2019, he joined Leicester City on loan, impressing enough to secure a permanent £32m transfer that summer.
FA Cup Glory and Villa Revival
At Leicester, Tielemans scored the only goal in the 2021 FA Cup Final, a long-range strike against Chelsea in the 63rd minute, securing Leicester's first FA Cup. He was named man of the match and later won Leicester's Supporters' Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year awards. After Leicester's relegation in 2023, Tielemans moved to Aston Villa on a free transfer. For the 2024–25 season, he was voted both Supporters' and Players' Player of the Season at Villa. In May, he opened the scoring with a volley in a 3–0 Europa League final win over SC Freiburg, ending Villa's 30-year trophy drought after they finished fourth in the Premier League.
International Captain and Record Setter
Tielemans made his Belgium debut at age 19 in 2016 and started in the team that beat England 2–0 to finish third at the 2018 World Cup. He played in Euro 2020, the 2022 World Cup, and Euro 2024, and in September 2025 was named captain by manager Rudi Garcia. In the 2026 World Cup Round of 32, he scored an 89th-minute equaliser against Senegal and a penalty in the 125th minute to secure a 3–2 comeback win, becoming only the second Belgian to score multiple goals in a World Cup knockout match (after Bernard Voorhoof in 1934). A hamstring injury forced him out before the Round of 16 defeat to Spain.
Tielemans has played as a box-to-box midfielder, a number 10, and a deep-lying playmaker. He set a Premier League record in November 2024 with 126 successful passes in Villa's 3–2 win over Everton. During the 2025–26 season, he led all Premier League midfield and attacking players in defensive lines broken per 100 passes and ranked first for defensive and central midfielders in passes breaking two lines.
