Youri Tielemans sorry after saying Manchester United are bigger than Aston Villa
Youri Tielemans has apologised to Aston Villa fans after suggesting he had moved to a bigger club at Manchester United.
The Belgium midfielder posted a message on Instagram on Thursday acknowledging his mistake. "I never meant my words in the press to offend anyone or Aston Villa Football Club," he wrote, admitting his choice of words had been wrong (BBC Sport).
The row began with an interview published by The Telegraph on 12 August 2026. Speaking during United's pre-season tour, Tielemans said there are clubs above Aston Villa and that Manchester United is one of them. He told the newspaper he owes Villa "the world" but described United as the bigger club (The Telegraph). He also said he has the mentality to succeed at Old Trafford.
Tielemans, 28, joined United from Aston Villa in the summer of 2025. United triggered a £35 million release clause — a fixed fee written into a player's contract that allows a buying club to sign him without negotiating with the selling club — and handed him a five-year deal. He had spent three seasons at Villa Park after arriving from Leicester City in 2023, making 134 appearances and scoring 10 goals (BBC Sport).
The move was not straightforward. Tielemans said he spoke with United about a transfer on two occasions before anything came together, and that he stayed calm throughout the process (The Independent). When the deal finally went through, he talked about wanting to "push for the biggest trophies" and called United a "special club" (Sports Illustrated).
The comments about club size are what stung Villa supporters. Three years, 134 appearances and a regular place in the team — then a few sentences in a pre-season interview that read, to many fans, as a slight on the club he had just left.
Tielemans moved to correct the record quickly. His Instagram apology came the day after the Telegraph interview went public, and he was direct about having got his wording wrong.
For a player who described himself as calm during the long transfer saga, the speed of the climbdown told its own story. The words landed badly, and he knew it.
