Tielemans reveals Jonny Evans helped seal his £35m Manchester United move

Youri Tielemans has revealed that Jonny Evans played a quiet but meaningful role in convincing him to join Manchester United, with the Belgian midfielder confirming the now-coach spoke to manager Michael Carrick on his behalf ahead of the £35m deal from Aston Villa.

United announced the signing on Tuesday, with Tielemans penning a five-year contract. Villa had been reluctant to lose the 29-year-old this summer, but Tielemans made clear his desire to move to Manchester.

“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.”

Evans and Tielemans were teammates at Leicester City, where they shared one of English football’s more memorable moments — the 2021 FA Cup final against Chelsea, when Tielemans struck from distance to seal a 1-0 victory and deliver the club its first FA Cup. Evans retired from playing last summer and has since joined Carrick’s backroom staff as a first-team coach.

Tielemans arrives at Old Trafford with substantial Premier League pedigree, having spent years at Leicester before his stint with Villa. He captained Belgium at the World Cup this summer, starting every match and scoring twice before missing the quarter-final against Spain after picking up a knock in the pre-match warm-up.

The midfielder was candid about his excitement at the move, pointing to United’s late-season form under Carrick as a factor in his decision. “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,” he said.

“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. They want to win and be really good on the pitch. That’s why I chose to come here.”

Tielemans also reflected on the prospect of playing at Old Trafford as a home player for the first time. “As an away player, it’s a tough ground to come to. You can feel the atmosphere straight away once you come into the stadium; the history is there. To play for the home team is going to be nice.”

He will join the squad for pre-season after a post-World Cup break.