Youri Tielemans has spoken candidly about his move to Manchester United, insisting that while he holds Aston Villa in the highest regard, joining Old Trafford represents a step up that any footballer would welcome.

"I am very thankful to Aston Villa. I owe them the world," the Belgium midfielder said. "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."

The 29-year-old's arrival at United this July was, in his own words, the third time the club had shown serious interest. United tracked Tielemans in 2019 following his loan spell at Leicester City, and again in 2022 when prolonged negotiations with Barcelona over Frenkie de Jong ultimately came to nothing. This time, United acted decisively — triggering his £35 million release clause while Tielemans was on duty with Belgium at the World Cup, securing him on a five-year deal.

"I was very calm. I was not expecting much this summer, to be fair," he recalled. "I was focused on my football and on the World Cup. But every summer something can happen, and I was aware of the clause."

A natural connection with Fernandes

Tielemans has wasted no time settling in, and a working partnership with captain Bruno Fernandes already appears to be taking shape. Senior Manchester United staff noted the chemistry between the two during the 1-1 draw with Paris St-Germain in Gothenburg last weekend, despite the pair sharing only 26 minutes on the pitch together.

"It's really natural," Tielemans said of the dynamic with Fernandes. "He is a guy that can find space easily. I just try and find him so that he can move forward."

Head coach Michael Carrick, according to Tielemans, wants him to express himself and bring organisation to the side. "He wants me to be free on the pitch, to try and organise the team the best I can," he explained. "It is just smelling football, which is what I have been doing from when I was young at Anderlecht."

A career built on big moments

Tielemans carries considerable pedigree into his new role. He scored Leicester City's winning goal in the 2021 FA Cup final and netted the opener for Aston Villa in their UEFA Europa League victory over Freiburg in May. Asked whether he can deliver goals for Manchester United, his answer was characteristically brief: "That's the aim."

His arrival also reunites him with familiar faces. Jonny Evans, a former Leicester City team-mate, offered a glowing endorsement to Carrick, and Tielemans also played briefly alongside Harry Maguire at Leicester. Marcus Rashford, who is back at Manchester United after his stint at Aston Villa, is another player Tielemans knows well.

"He was very humble and hard-working," Tielemans said of Rashford. "From the first training session you could tell his touch and acceleration was just amazing. Hopefully he can bring that here."

Managing his body after a gruelling World Cup

Tielemans was forced to withdraw from Belgium's World Cup quarter-final against Spain last month after feeling discomfort during the warm-up — the consequence, he believes, of an accumulated workload. Belgium had played 120 minutes against Senegal before facing the United States just days later, and then Spain three days after that.

"In that last game, it was just an overload of too many games; too many minutes," he explained. "My body just switched off for some reason." He is quick to add, however, that such episodes are rare. "When I am good, I am good. When it does not go well, I will know straight away and I will alert the manager. But it does not happen often."

Having made his professional debut for Anderlecht at 16 and accumulated 668 appearances for club and country, Tielemans arrives at Manchester United at a career crossroads — determined to add a new chapter. "It is a great achievement for any footballer to end up here," he said. "But it does not end there. I want to be successful."