Manchester United are in talks to sign Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa.
Tielemans is contracted until June 2028, but United have identified an opportunity to sign the 29-year-old midfielder and, despite interest from other players, he is in favor of a move to Old Trafford.
Contacts continue between all parties to complete the transfer, which comes as a bit of a surprise but would add much-needed quality and experience to an area of the pitch that United have prioritized this summer.
Villa have no desire to sell Tielemans and offered him a contract months ago, but his deal includes a release clause of around £35 million so they may have little choice.
Their pursuit follows United’s decision to reject a move for Atalanta midfielder Ederson at this time.
Last month a deal worth €40.5m ($47m; £35m) plus €4.5m ($5m; £4m) in potential add-ons was agreed for Ederson, with personal terms agreed with the Brazil international.
Initial medical tests were carried out before Ederson was belatedly called up to his country’s World Cup squad.
Meanwhile, United continued their preparatory work, which allowed them to quickly turn things around when a second round of post-tournament medical examinations was completed.
They could look to revisit the situation later in the transfer window – efforts to bolster Michael Carrick’s midfield extend beyond Tielemans and the recent acquisition of Andrei Santos from Chelsea – although it is unclear whether Atalanta and Ederson will do the same.
Tielemans joined Villa from Leicester City on a free transfer in the summer of 2023 and has two years remaining on his contract.
He was an important part of the Villa team that qualified for the Champions League and won the Europa League in 2025/26, scoring two goals and providing seven assists in 35 appearances in all competitions.
Athletic It was reported this month that Unai Emery wanted to build a midfield trio around Villa in Tielemans, Boubacar Camara and Amadou Onana, but the latter will be out for a significant period of time after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during Belgium’s World Cup win over the United States.
Tielemans captained Belgium en route to the quarter-finals but missed Friday’s defeat to Spain after picking up an injury in the warm-up. He scored twice in Belgium’s 3-2 comeback win over Senegal in the round of 16.
The focus of United’s midfield is the departure of Casemiro, with Manuel Ugarte damaging knee ligaments during Uruguay’s defeat to Spain in the World Cup group stage.
They hired Santos for £48 million plus £2 million in bonuses and were interested in England international Elliot Anderson, who instead moved to Manchester City for £116 million ($153 million).
United were also pursuing Mateus Fernandes before Tottenham Hotspur reached West Ham United’s £85 million (€98 million, $112 million) valuation.
United continue to target Premier League talent
Analysis by Manchester United correspondent Mark Critchley
If United’s deal for Ederson falls through, there are few alternatives with the same quality and experience as Tielemans.
The 29-year-old Belgium international is older than many of the other players United were considering as part of their summer midfield overhaul.
But Premier League know-how has been the theme of Old Trafford management’s business for the past two years and United will sign a player who has spent eight highly successful seasons in England’s top flight.
Tielemans represents an opportunity to tap into proven quality and a player with many of the qualities United have been looking for in strengthening their midfield.
The Aston Villa midfielder is an excellent progressive passer, capable of breaking lines and moving the ball from one end of the pitch to the other, a responsibility that too often fell solely on the shoulders of Bruno Fernandes at United.
Tielemans is also more than capable in possession, winning duels and covering the area to help fill United’s hole in the form of Casemiro.