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Man United moved quickly for Aston Villa midfielder Youri Tielemans following the conclusion of his World Cup campaign.

There are few real surprises in modern-day football. Take Manchester United's move for Andrey Santos, for example. When he was announced as a United player on Monday afternoon, nobody was shocked to see him signing on the dotted line at Old Trafford. But just a couple of hours earlier, United fans had been left stunned.

It was revealed that United were in advanced talks to sign Youri Tielemans and that he was keen to move to Old Trafford. Just days after his World Cup campaign had ended, United were on the verge of adding the impressive midfielder to their ranks and confirmation of his move arrived on Tuesday evening.

Having starred for Leicester City and Villa in the Premier League, Tielemans' abilities are well known. But he will bring far more to Old Trafford than his ability with the ball at his feet.

The midfielder was named Belgium's captain by head coach Rudi Garcia in 2025. Being named captain of your country is, of course, a huge accomplishment, but it was made even more impressive given the competition Tielemans beat off to get the armband. "He has a good relationship with everyone in the group," Garcia explained. "He enjoys unanimity within the group.

"Even though other guys remain important leaders, like Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois, Romelu Lukaku... Youri gets the armband." That show of confidence in Tielemans was rewarded at the World Cup. Against Senegal in the round of 32, Tielemans grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck. He scuffled with Leandro Trossard as he demanded higher standards, before delivering two goals to help turn the game on its head.

It was a statement performance from Tielemans and one that earned him praise from teammate and former Manchester City star De Bruyne. "Youri has been a great servant to Belgium," the midfielder said. "He is now leading the team as captain and is someone everyone can look to, both on and off the pitch.

"I think he’s a fantastic guy and, thankfully, his two goals made the difference in getting us through today."

These glowing recommendations from the Belgium camp will be music to the ears of United.

Casemiro's exit saw the departure of a real leader, and while there are still plenty of leaders in the United squad, losing a voice like that from the dressing room was always bound to be a blow, particularly to the younger players in the group.

It's understood Kobbie Mainoo loved playing alongside Casemiro, and with players like Mateus Fernandes (22) and Elliot Anderson (23) being targeted to play alongside Mainoo, you started to wonder how the academy graduate might suffer without an experienced pro alongside him.

The addition of Tielemans should hopefully mean that is no longer an issue.