Manchester United are closing in on the signing of Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa for a fee in the region of £36m.
Sky Sports News understands the midfielder has a release clause in his contract that is being triggered by United.
Discussions are advancing quickly after Belgium’s exit from the World Cup.
Tielemans has been at Villa since 2023, when he joined on a free transfer from Leicester City, and has made 134 appearances for the club, scoring 10 times.
During that time, Villa have twice qualified for the Champions League, reached the quarter-finals in that competition and won the Europa League last season under Unai Emery, with Tielemans opening the scoring in the final against Freiburg.
Before joining Villa, Tielemans won the FA Cup and Community Shield at Leicester.
United already have agreed a £50m deal to sign Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos, while a move for Tielemans comes after Sky in Italy reported that United’s pursuit of Atalanta midfielder Ederson is off.
United agreed a £38m deal to sign the Brazil international – who featured for his country at the World Cup – and was set to sign a four-year deal at the club with an option to extend his stay for an additional 12 months.
Analysis: Tielemans is ready-made, reliable midfield option
Sky Sports’ Sam Blitz and William Bitibiri:
Aston Villa have a lot of gems in their team – Emiliano Martinez, Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers to name a few. But ask any Villa fan who their most important player is and most will say Youri Tielemans.
Aston Villa’s record with and without Youri Tielemans
Many concluded that Villa’s exit from the Premier League title race picture in February coincided with Tielemans’ ankle injury. They went from a team who won 10 out of 13 league games to a side who lost four out of their next seven.
So missed when absent, the Belgian is a crucial cog in the Villa midfield due to his all-round midfield control. He’s outstanding in the duels – with one of the best tackle success rate among Premier League midfielders – but he’s also pivotal on the ball.
Tielemans is capable of breaking through the lines and providing that killer pass. His through ball numbers are among the most creative players in the Premier League.
Tielemans has emerged as a shock candidate to anchor Manchester United’s midfield rebuild but he’s one that arguably ticks more boxes than anyone else on the Old Trafford shortlist.
For a club preparing for the toils of the Champions League, alongside a desire to better their current Premier League position, Tielemans represents the ready-made option that proved so successful for United last season. Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha raised United’s level last season and were examples of astute business from INEOS.
The 29-year-old would join with a CV as impressive as his goal repertoire. He scored the winner in Leicester City’s FA Cup final triumph in 2021, delivered again in Aston Villa’s Europa League final victory last season and captained Belgium at the 2026 World Cup.
Tielemans brings composure in possession, leadership without the armband and has done it all at the highest level. INEOS are planning for the long term but that shouldn’t come at the detriment to what United want to achieve immediately. Tielemans is an obvious fit and may be an early shout for signing of the summer.
