The Belgian midfielder has spoken for the first time since his switch to Villa Park was announced in what was one of the first major Premier League deals of the summer
Aston Villa’s ambition convinced Youri Tielemans to join the club, the former Leicester City midfielder has said in his first words since his free transfer was announced.
Villa will officially sign Tielemans on July 1 when his City contract has ended. The Belgian resisted penning a new deal at the King Power Stadium for two years, leading to the expiry of his contract this summer.
While he initially hoped to get a Champions League club, he has quickly sealed a switch across the Midlands to Villa. They have made strong progress since Unai Emery took charge, and have qualified for the Europa Conference League for next season.
Speaking while on Belgium duty ahead of their Euro 2024 qualifiers against Austria and Estonia, Tielemans told RTL Sports: “Of course, there were a lot of rumours, lots of things said, things left unsaid, but I always learned not to always believe in what is said in the newspapers too.
“Why Aston Villa? I had a very nice project on the table. The coach spoke to me and I also had discussions with the club. The project really convinced me.
“Aston Villa are a big club in England, and I feel they have the ambition to keep growing. That’s what made me want to choose them. I think we already have a great team. It would be really nice to get this project off to a good start.
“The coach gave me all his confidence and he told me where he saw me playing. I am convinced that I made the right choice.”
Tielemans is one of the first major transfers of the summer, with the 26-year-old explaining he was keen to sort his future as soon as possible. That helps his focus, and rids any uncertainty for his family.
He added: “It’s about settling in very early, it’s something I am happy with because it clears my head a bit. I know where I will be next year. It’s very important for a football player to be free in the head and also for the family. So that’s good.”
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