Top News

14 August 2026

Manchester United’s new signing Youri Tielemans has praised club captain Bruno Fernandes and outlined why he is a “nightmare” to come up against, in an interview with Rio Ferdinand.

The Red Devils surprised many observers, including Aston Villa, when they activated a previously undisclosed £35 million release clause in Tielemans’ contract at Villa Park.

Having turned 29 in May, the Belgium international falls outside the age profile INEOS have generally pursued since assuming control of football operations at Old Trafford. Even so, his quality is beyond doubt, and that means the fee could well prove to be a bargain when compared with the huge amounts paid for other — arguably less effective — midfielders in the Premier League.

It is understood Unai Emery was keen to keep Tielemans after an outstanding campaign in which Villa won the Europa League, although the Spaniard appreciated the player’s decision to join England’s biggest club.

United had been close to bringing in the Sint-Pieters-Leeuw-born midfielder on two previous occasions, but this summer proved to be third time lucky. He arrived alongside Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos, while INEOS are still weighing up options for a third midfield addition.

Tielemans came off the bench to make his unofficial debut in a United shirt against European champions Paris Saint-Germain. The game finished 1-1, but he caught the eye in his brief appearance by completing 100% of his passes.

The immediate understanding the Belgium captain showed with Fernandes was especially encouraging, offering a glimpse of something that could soon become a key element of Michael Carrick’s side — though it is clearly something that does not surprise Tielemans.

“Against him is a nightmare”

Speaking to Rio Ferdinand on the former Manchester United defender’s podcast, Tielemans was asked for his view on Fernandes.

“The guy that texted me first [after the deal was complete] was Bruno. That means a lot coming from him; as club captain, that’s who you want behind you,” the 29-year-old said.

On the pitch, though, it will be Tielemans operating behind Fernandes, supplying the Portugal international with sharp, line-breaking passes — and he believes that will be a “nightmare” for defenders, as he knows from experience.

“Against [Fernandes] is a nightmare. He picks up all the right spaces you don’t want the opponent to pick up and he’s so tidy on the ball. He runs a lot, he’s a competitor, he wants to win for his team, never gives up,” Tielemans told Ferdinand.

“But now playing with him is going to be very easy. He can pick up the right pockets and I can just find him there and he can create whatever he needs to create and from there we can move forward as a team as a unit and hopefully we can do that together.”

Against Luis Enrique’s dominant PSG side, the link-up between the two was already visible, even if it came late in a pre-season friendly. For much of Fernandes’ time at Old Trafford, he has had to serve as the team’s main creator, often dropping deeper to help control matches — a responsibility Ruben Amorim took too far by using him as a No.6.

Now, with one of the Premier League’s most accomplished playmakers positioned as the link between him and the defence, Fernandes appears ready to rediscover the goal threat he has lost in recent seasons — even if that period still saw him break the all-time record for most assists.