Manchester United are closing in on the signing of Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa for £36 million, and the numbers behind the deal paint a compelling picture of why manager Michael Carrick wants him at Old Trafford.

At 29, Tielemans arrives with 244 Premier League appearances and a reputation forged across English football's biggest stages — including that iconic FA Cup winning volley for Leicester City and a crucial goal as Aston Villa claimed European glory in May.

A triumph of common sense

This is not the kind of signing designed to generate excitement on social media. It is, however, the kind of signing that makes a squad meaningfully better — a lesson United appear to have taken from the successful arrivals of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo last summer.

Buying Premier League-proven players carries far less risk than gambling on unknown quantities from abroad, and at £36 million, Tielemans represents exactly that kind of measured investment.

The pass as a message

What Tielemans brings above all else is progressive, intelligent ball distribution from deep — precisely the quality Carrick needs now that Bruno Fernandes has been pushed into a more advanced position. Using data blended from tracking and event sources by Genius Sports, Fernandes, Elliot Anderson, and Tielemans rank as the top three midfielders in the Premier League for passes that bypass four or more opponents over the past two seasons.

Tielemans himself offered a vivid insight into his footballing philosophy when speaking to Sky Sports earlier this year.