Youri Tielemans outlined his desire to join Manchester United as soon as they came calling.
According to ESPN, the 29-year-old, hailed as ‘outstanding’ by Jason Wilcox, reportedly ‘made it clear very quickly’ that he wanted to make the move.
How Youri Tielemans’ United switch materialised
From there, it was as straightforward as you’d want a transfer to be, as United were able to activate Tielemans’ £35 million release clause and get his medical booked for the following day.
He followed Andrey Santos through the doors at Carrington to become the first signings of Michael Carrick’s management, with both providing ample Premier League experience.
These Youri Tielemans strikes have us like 😮 pic.twitter.com/bllnuIrnS8
— Premier League (@premierleague) July 2, 2026
Tielemans, in particular, has more than proven himself in the top flight thanks to his spells with Leicester City and, for the last three years, Villa.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists | Minutes played |
| 244 | 26 | 39 | 18,785 |
TIELEMANS’ COMPLETE PL RECORD (COURTESY OF TRANSFERMARKT)
The pair also cost United a combined £83m, which is still £2m less than what Tottenham Hotspur shelled out to sign 21-year-old Mateus Fernandes, who’s overseen back-to-back relegations.
After Tielemans and Santos: Who else will United bring in?
There is still more business to be done in the coming weeks, though.
INEOS are fully aware that another new midfielder is imperative, especially in the aftermath of Manuel Ugarte’s layoff.
The Uruguayan suffered a knee ligament injury while in action at the World Cup and, despite undergoing successful surgery earlier this week, it’s still anticipated that he will miss the majority of the term.
On the comeback trail.
Wishing you all the best with your recovery, @ManuUgarte8 — we'll be with you every step of the way 🙏❤️
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 15, 2026
United left Atalanta ‘stunned’ when they pulled out of their agreement for Ederson, but fans were pleased to see the key decision-makers doing their due diligence and not just following through with a transfer to appease the club and player.
Alex Scott, Carlos Baleba, Sander Berge and Manu Kone are all names continuing to be linked with United. It remains to be seen how much the board are willing to spend on their third acquisition in the middle of the park.
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