Youri Tielemans admits he did not see his move to Manchester United coming. In his first interview since completing the transfer from Aston Villa, the Belgian midfielder described the switch as something he had not planned for — even as negotiations were developing behind the scenes.

"Not really, no," Tielemans said when asked whether he anticipated leaving Aston Villa this summer. "I was more so focused on the World Cup. When it was time that it was accepted and acceptable, then I was made aware. Every summer something can happen."

Manchester United moved quickly and with little fanfare, activating a release clause of just £35 million to secure a player with eight years of Premier League experience. Tielemans had spoken with the club on two previous occasions without anything materialising, which only added to the element of surprise when the deal was finally done.

From Villa Park to Old Trafford

Tielemans joined Aston Villa as a free agent after Leicester were relegated to the Championship, and his time in the Midlands proved to be a career revival. The club won the UEFA Europa League during his tenure — a landmark achievement he holds in high regard.

"At Villa we did amazing things. We achieved the Europa League win, which was great for the club," he said. "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 put me back at my best level."

He added that the positive atmosphere at Manchester United was a significant draw. Despite his storied career, Tielemans insisted the opportunity to join a club of United's stature never felt closed to him.

Reuniting with Evans and Rashford

One familiar face has helped ease Tielemans into his new environment: Jonny Evans, now part of Michael Carrick's backroom staff. The two shared four and a half years together at Leicester, and Tielemans was clearly delighted to be reunited with him — even if the dynamic has shifted.

"Jonny has always been a main character," Tielemans said with a grin. "It is a bit weird to see him as a staff member, to be honest, but it is going great. He knows me, he knows what I need and what I can bring to the team."

Tielemans also shared six months with Marcus Rashford when the winger was on loan at Aston Villa during the second half of the 2024/25 season. With Rashford now back at Manchester United, Tielemans spoke warmly about the England international's qualities.

"He was great. There had been so much talk about him, but I thought he was just so good — very humble, very hard working. From the first training session, his touch and his acceleration were amazing. Hopefully he can bring all of that here."

Belgium's World Cup campaign and Balogun controversy

Tielemans captained Belgium at the FIFA World Cup 2026, guiding his nation to the quarter-finals before they were eliminated by eventual champions Spain. He scored two goals in Belgium's dramatic round-of-32 victory over Senegal, playing a central role in the campaign.

However, an injury suffered in the warm-up before the quarter-final ruled him out of that match entirely. He is keen to reassure Manchester United supporters that there are no lasting concerns.

"It was just an overload of too many games and too many minutes — my body could not cope anymore," he explained. "We played 120 minutes against Senegal, then faced the USA three or four days later, then Spain three days after that. In the warm-up, my body just switched off."

Perhaps the most contentious moment of Belgium's campaign came in their round-of-16 clash against the USA, when striker Folarin Balogun's red card was controversially suspended for that fixture. Belgium won the match 4-1, but Tielemans acknowledged the decision had caused initial surprise.

"Originally we were surprised by the decision to revert the red card and his suspension," he said. "But other than changing our preparation slightly — because Balogun is a different type of player — we were very calm. We just accepted our fate and tried to have a good game."