Youri Tielemans has disclosed that his former Leicester City teammate Jonny Evans played a small but significant role in his £35 million transfer to Manchester United from Aston Villa. The Belgian midfielder completed the move to Old Trafford this week, signing a five-year contract in a deal that surprised many in the football world.
Transfer Details and Contract Clause
Aston Villa had no intention of selling Tielemans, but a clause in his contract allowed him to explore a move to United. Unai Emery, the Villa manager, was forced to part with a player he valued highly, as Tielemans expressed interest in the switch. The £35 million fee was triggered by the clause, enabling the transfer to proceed.
Evans' Influence and Leicester Connections
Tielemans and Evans were teammates at Leicester City, where they both started in the 2021 FA Cup final victory over Chelsea. Tielemans scored a stunning long-range goal to clinch the trophy. Evans, a Northern Irishman, returned to Manchester United on a free transfer after his Leicester contract expired. He retired from playing last summer and now works as a first-team coach on Michael Carrick's backroom staff at United.
Tielemans also played with Harry Maguire at Leicester, but it was Evans who played a small role in his transfer. "I haven't spoken to Harry yet, but yeah, Jonny, he's been a big influence," Tielemans told United's in-house media. "He spoke with the manager about me, my character, and my personality. I've always kept in touch with Jonny. He's such a great guy."
Tielemans' Excitement and Ambitions
Tielemans discussed his move in more detail, expressing his enthusiasm: "I'm very happy, very excited to start, meet the teammates, and be on the pitch together. I'm looking forward to working with the manager. As a midfielder, he can give me a lot of tips, and I can learn from him. So I'm really looking forward to learning and, obviously, linking up with my teammates."
He also highlighted the club's recent form and ambition: "The second part of last season, they went on a really good run of wins with this manager, and the players have always been the same, big quality inside the team, smart signings last season. To play with them is going to be really good. I'm ready to push on, I'm ready to make the next step in my career, and that's why this is the perfect club for me. And I feel like the club is ambitious in that as well. They want to win and be really good on the pitch. That's why I chose to come here."
