Manchester United are nearing a deal for Aston Villa’s Youri Tielemans after their attempt to bring in Atalanta midfielder Éderson collapsed.
United’s head of football operations, Jason Wilcox, is engaged in advanced discussions with Villa over the financial terms for Tielemans. The 29-year-old, who featured for Belgium at the World Cup, is believed to have a £35m release clause in a contract that still has two years to run.
Tielemans brings extensive Premier League know‑how, having joined Leicester from Monaco in 2019 and then moving to Villa on a free transfer four years later. The midfielder has 90 caps for his country and skippered them at the World Cup, where they fell to a 2‑1 defeat against Spain in the quarter‑finals on Friday.
Following Casemiro’s departure from United at the end of last season, and with Manuel Ugarte seen primarily as a squad option, Michael Carrick is looking to overhaul his midfield unit. A £48m deal with £2m in add‑ons for Chelsea’s Andrey Santos has already been agreed, and Éderson was expected to be Carrick’s second midfield addition of the summer window. However, the proposed move for the 27‑year‑old Brazilian was called off after his medical, clearing the way for United to advance their pursuit of Tielemans.
The push to sign Tielemans points to a shift in United’s recruitment strategy, given his age means he would carry little to no resale value. He would also represent a considerable blow for Villa, particularly in light of the anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered by his compatriot Amadou Onana at the World Cup.
Villa do appear set to strengthen their midfield ranks, however, with the £49m capture of Switzerland’s Johan Manzambi from Freiburg.
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