The Reason Behind Tielemans' £35 Million Release Clause Revealed! Aston Villa Takes Revenge on Manchester United by Snatching Three Potential Targets

Manchester United swiftly secured the services of 29-year-old Belgian skipper Youri Tielemans this summer for a mere £35 million, the exact amount of his release clause. A lot of supporters don't understand how a player of his caliber ended up with such a low termination fee.

In fact, the explanation dates back to Tielemans' period prior to his Villa move. Back in 2023, during Leicester City's previous Premier League relegation season, Tielemans was out of form. Consequently, even though he became a free agent available for nothing, top clubs like Manchester United and Arsenal lost interest, believing he had passed his peak and wasn't worth signing.

Aston Villa seized the chance and successfully convinced him to join their squad. Despite Unai Emery's warm invitation—even personally visiting to persuade him—Tielemans still harbored ambitions of moving to an even bigger club in the future. Therefore, he insisted on including a release clause to ensure he could leave whenever he wished.

For Villa, acquiring such a player for free, even with a relatively low buyout clause, was still a profitable deal, so they agreed to the terms. Unexpectedly, Tielemans experienced a resurgence at Villa Park, particularly in the 2024/25 season, where he made 53 appearances totaling 4,511 minutes—the highest playing time for a Villa player since the 1995/96 season.

Although injuries to his calf and ankle limited his appearances to just 35 games last season, Villa did not view this as a sign of him becoming "injury-prone." As a result, the club hoped to extend Tielemans' contract. The Belgian midfielder still had two years left on his deal, and his weekly wage of £150,000 was already among the highest in the squad—yet Villa still offered him a new contract.

However, due to various financial regulations, Villa had to wait until the new fiscal year began in the summer to officially renew the deal. Manchester United activated the release clause and convinced Tielemans, which wasn't difficult because the Belgian had been a Red Devils supporter since childhood.

Tielemans' release clause was kept highly confidential—even some Villa staff involved in his initial signing were unaware of its existence. But United learned of it because Tielemans' agency has a partnership with the club, maintaining an open line of communication.

Manchester United initially targeted Atalanta's Brazilian defensive midfielder Ederson, who is two years younger than Tielemans. However, after the 27-year-old Brazilian failed his medical, the Red Devils turned to other options and decided to sign Tielemans instead. The process moved very quickly because there were almost no obstacles.

Aston Villa and their fans were very unhappy with this outcome. After losing Tielemans, they prepared to hijack two of Manchester United's potential targets, including Wolves midfielder João Gomes, Roma midfielder Koudio Manu Koné, and West Ham winger Crysencio Summerville.

Villa, who qualified for the Champions League last season, lost several key players in the summer window—not just Tielemans. Another Belgian international, Amadou Onana, also suffered a torn cruciate ligament in his knee during the World Cup, ruling him out for the entire next season.

They previously hijacked Newcastle United's target, Swiss youngster Johan Manzambi, and this week they got a "here we go!" for Wolves' Gomes, with a transfer fee of €40 million plus €5 million in add-ons (approximately £38 million). After Gomes passes his medical this weekend, he will join Villa.

In response, sources from Manchester United told Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano that despite earlier rumors, the club was actually not interested in the 25-year-old Gomes; United was scouting other players.

At Villa, Gomes will replace Onana's position, but Emery still wants to strengthen the midfield and continues to compete with United for players. Italian media "Sports Media Set" reports that Villa intends to rival United for French international Koné as a replacement for Tielemans. Bayern Munich's João Palhinha is another option for Villa; they hope to loan the Portuguese powerhouse who played for Tottenham last season.

Villa also plans to pursue West Ham's Dutch winger Summerville, who was once considered a Manchester United transfer target. However, with Rashford's transfer stalled, the rumors linking United to Summerville have cooled down. Only if Rashford leaves would United have a greater chance of signing a new winger.

Unfortunately, the 28-year-old English star will likely stay at Manchester United for now. According to "The Athletic" authority David Ornstein, Rashford's £40 million release clause expired on July 15, meaning any club wanting to sign him now must negotiate a transfer fee with United.

After the World Cup, Rashford will return to Manchester United. He has rejected a move to the Turkish Super League, and unless an attractive offer comes in, he will choose to stay. His contract with United, worth £355,000 per week, still has two years remaining.