Official: Youri Tielemans joins Man United

Another link in Manchester United's midfield revolution has been officially completed. The Red Devils have officially announced the transfer of Aston Villa's Belgian star Youri Tielemans. The 29-year-old midfielder signed a five-year contract with the club running until the summer of 2031 after completing his medical on Tuesday morning.

The mechanism of the transfer has gone down as one of the most striking moves of the summer window. United triggered a £35 million release clause in Tielemans' Aston Villa contract that had previously been unknown to the public. Villa had no intention of selling their player; the club were even reported to have offered the Belgian star a new contract, only to be left helpless once the clause came into play. The Birmingham side delivered their response on the market, accelerating their moves in the Johan Manzambi transfer.

Tielemans is part of the major midfield rebuild at Old Trafford. Into a department depleted by Casemiro's departure to Inter Miami and Manuel Ugarte's ACL injury at the World Cup, United had first added Andrey Santos from Chelsea for £50 million, while the Ederson transfer was called off over his medical. Despite Tielemans becoming the third signing of the summer alongside goalkeeper Karl Darlow, a third midfield reinforcement is said to remain on the agenda.

The Belgium captain's CV, meanwhile, is more than proven in the Premier League. Scoring the only goal of the 2021 FA Cup final in a Leicester City shirt, experiencing last season's Europa League triumph with Aston Villa — a 3-0 win over Freiburg in the final — along with Champions League qualification, Tielemans also carried his country to the World Cup quarterfinal as captain, scoring the extra-time winner in the historic comeback against Senegal. In an inflated transfer market, the £35 million fee is regarded as a bargain next to the sums paid for similar profiles.