Manchester United new boy Youri Tielemans has hailed club captain Bruno Fernandes and explained why he is a “nightmare” to play against in an interview with Rio Ferdinand.
Midfield Maestro
The Red Devils caught many, including Aston Villa, by surprise when they triggered a previously unknown £35 million release clause in Tielemans’ contract at Villa Park.
Having turned 29 in May, the Belgium international is outside the age range INEOS have typically targeted since taking control of football operations at Old Trafford. However, his quality is unquestioned, meaning the fee will likely prove a bargain in comparison to the exorbitant sums spent on other – arguably inferior – midfielders in the Premier League.
Unai Emery is understood to have been desperate to retain Tielemans’ services after a superb season which saw Villa win the Europa League, though the Spaniard understood the decision to join England’s biggest club.
Youri Tielemans Stats: 2025/26 Season
| Competition | Appearances | Starts | Goals | Assists | Yellow Cards | Red Cards | Minutes Played |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | 25 | 21 | - | 4 | - | - | 1,863' |
| UEFA Europa League | 9 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | - | 642' |
| FA Cup | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 81' |
| EFL Cup | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Total | 35 | 28 | 2 | 7 | 2 | - | 2,586' |
United had come close to signing the Sint-Pieters-Leeuw native on two occasions in the past, but the stars aligned to make it third time lucky this summer. He was joined by Chelsea dynamo Andrey Santos, with INEOS still considering options for a third recruit in midfield.
Tielemans came off the bench to make his non-competitive debut in a red shirt against European champions Paris Saint-Germain. The match ended in a 1-1 stalemate, but he impressed with his limited minutes, completing 100% of his passes.
The instant connection the Belgium captain demonstrated with Fernandes was particularly pleasing, offering a template which will quickly become a major feature of Carrick’s side – yet one which will come as no surprise to Tielemans himself.
“Against him is a nightmare”
Speaking to Rio Ferdinand on the former Manchester United defender’s podcast, Tielemans was asked for his opinion on Fernandes.
“The guy that text 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 revealed.
On the pitch, however, it will be Tielemans who is operating behind Fernandes, feeding the Portugal international with incisive, line-breaking balls – and he believes it will be a “nightmare” to defend, as he can attest.
“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.”
Final Thoughts
Against Luis Enrique’s all-conquering PSG side, the connection between the pair was already evident, even if it came towards the end of a pre-season friendly. For much of Fernandes’ career at Old Trafford, he has been forced to act as creator-in-chief, often dropping deep to help dictate play – a role Ruben Amorim misguidedly took to the extreme by deploying him as a No.6.
Now, with one of the Premier League’s most skilled playmakers stationed as the conduit between him and the defence, Fernandes looks primed to rediscover the goal-scoring threat he has lost in recent seasons – even if that led to him breaking the all-time record for most assists.
Featured image Alex Grimm via Getty Images
