“He has got his structure. He wants to have the ball, he wants to press in certain ways. It might be different from what I have been used to before, but it is logical things. It is just smelling football, and that is what I have been doing from when I was young at Anderlecht.”Youri Tielemans cut a relaxed figure on Tuesday when outlining Michael Carrick’s playing principles to journalists before Manchester United’s pre-season friendly against Leeds United.Long been linked with a move to Old Trafford, United first discussed a deal for Tielemans in the summer of 2019 and then again in 2022. The third time has proven the charm, however, with United activating his £35million ($47m) release clause at Aston Villa and adding his creative talents to their midfield rebuild.Tielemans said he was “very calm” about previous interest from United, and spent this summer focusing on the World Cup with his national team. He captained Belgium in five of their six matches in North America, but was injured in the warm-up before their quarter-final defeat against Spain.“It was just an overload of too many games, too many minutes, and my body could not cope with it anymore,” the 29-year-old says.He has signed a contract that will run until 2031, making him an important component of a retooled midfield following Casemiro’s departure and the signing of Andrey Santos from Chelsea.How does Tielemans fit at Man Utd?Tifo Football“There are high demands inside the club,” says Tielemans. “When I was younger, when I used to watch the games in the Premier League, Man United was always on top. There was always that mentality of winning games, and that is what we are trying to bring back.“At Villa, we did amazing things; we achieved the Europa League win. Villa is a great club, and I owe them the world. They have put me back to my best level, so I am very thankful. But there are still clubs above Villa — and Manchester United is one of them. There is a very positive vibe, a very positive mood in and around the club.”Tielemans’ multi-functionality makes him appealing for Carrick’s United. Comfortable in a No 10 role or as a box-to-box player, he should give his new club new ways of breaking down opponents who look to sit deep and frustrate.United are attempting to make further signings before the end of the transfer window, but Tielemans is one key piece of a team that will play differently following the departure of Casemiro.In their four pre-season games, United have enjoyed noticeable periods of settled possession, before progressing the ball up the field with quick passing interchanges and eventually attacking the penalty area. Santos’ work anchoring the midfield has seen United defend in a 4-2-4 shape when out of possession. Carrick’s footballing principles look to provide collective safeguards when defending, and empower players to make their own decisions when getting forward. Andrey Santos working to win the ball back in last month’s friendly against Wrexham in Helsinki, Finland (Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)“When you follow those principles, you can add your offensive qualities,” Tielemans says. “Especially in the last third, where everything is a bit more in freedom, without overcommitting and keeping the defensive line in place. Then we can do good things.”United are still capable of lightning-quick counter-attacks, as well as longer passing moves. Having spoken to Carrick briefly before and after the bid was made — “I had a great connection,” he says — Tielemans believes his role straddles chaos and control. He wants to be a creator who can bring out the best in those around him, including captain Bruno Fernandes. “I play forward as much as I can,” he says. “Either to Bruno or the front line, to put them in positions that they can attack with freedom and that they can create and use their qualities. Then, defensively, trying to keep the structure, trying to keep the defensive line together — being that link between the defence and the attack, that suits me the best.”Tielemans is one of the most experienced midfielders operating at the highest level, and with that comes risk. He was one of Unai Emery’s most trusted lieutenants two seasons ago, making 53 appearances in all competitions as Aston Villa reached the Champions League quarter-finals. That heavy load may help explain his injury-disrupted 2025-26 campaign, when he missed 21 matches for Villa due to ankle and calf problems. Yet he is confident about his fitness this upcoming season. “I feel very good. I had a little issue during the World Cup, which is sorted, and I feel 100 per cent fit. I am ready to go, and in 10 days, we will be there,” he says, referencing their Premier League opener at Hull City on August 22.As United prepare for a 2026-27 season that will see them play a minimum of 48 matches, it will be interesting to see how Tielemans shares playing time with Kobbie Mainoo, Mason Mount and Santos in the deeper midfield roles. Tielemans says he is excited to combine with his new team-mates, describing Santos as “a very good midfielder” who stands out through his ability to “recover the ball and then play forward”.Asked if he will act as a mentor to Santos and Mainoo, he says: “Yeah, but I would not say mentor. I would just say that it would help improve the team. I can add my experience, Bruno’s experience, but those two young players already have a lot of experience, and to mix that together, we can do good things.”At Leicester City, he played with Jonny Evans (now a coach at United, the former centre-back has “always been a main character”) and Harry Maguire (the defender “is rock solid, so he has improved a lot over the years as well”). Tielemans spent six months sharing a dressing room with Marcus Rashford at Aston Villa, a creative partnership that could be repeated this upcoming season. “His time there, there had been so much talk about him and bringing pressure and the media around him, but he was just so good,” says Tielemans. “He was very humble, hard-working, and from the first training session, you could tell his touch, his acceleration was amazing. That was just what we needed at Villa as well. He did many good things, and hopefully he can bring them here.”United fans, players and coaches alike will hope Tielemans can bring experience and creativity to a deeper midfield role that has troubled the club since Carrick retired from playing in 2018. It’s a challenge Tielemans relishes.“That is my education, that is my mentality,” he says. “Wherever I am, I want to win. I have made it here, but it does not mean anything yet.”