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Youri Tielemans has apologised to Aston Villa supporters after saying Manchester United were a step above his former club.

Tielemans completed a move from Villa Park to Old Trafford this summer in a deal worth £35m, having previously held talks on two occasions about joining Manchester United.

The Belgium midfielder thrived under Unai Emery after joining Aston Villa on a free transfer from Leicester in 2023, and helped the club win the Europa League earlier this year by scoring in the final.

The 29-year-old, however, came in for criticism from fans after saying during his new club’s pre-season tour that “there are clubs above Villa, and Manchester United is one of them.”

Tielemans has now acknowledged that the comment was a mistake, while insisting that he did not intend to cause offence.

“I never meant for my words in the press yesterday to offend anyone or the institution of Aston Villa Football Club, which I massively respect and I’m grateful for the past 3 years,” Tielemans said.

“I must, however, admit my mistake and apologise for my choice of words, will be more careful in the future.

“Wishing the club the best in the future.”

Villa finished one place and six points behind Manchester United in the Premier League last season, and were edged out by Paris Saint-Germain in the Uefa Super Cup on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Tielemans came off the bench for Michael Carrick’s side in a friendly against Leeds at Croke Park in Dublin.