The £35 million Man United new signing 'reveals' a surprising secret.

For the first time, the £35 million Manchester United newcomer discloses behind-the-scenes details of the transfer, confirming that the club had approached him twice previously.

This summer, Manchester United quietly completed the signing of Youri Tielemans for a reported fee of £35 million. Notably, in his first interview since arriving at Old Trafford, the Belgian midfielder revealed little-known stories behind the transfer.

Tielemans said that this was not the first time Manchester United had shown interest in him. According to the Belgian star, the two sides had up to two exchanges in the past, but those negotiations did not yield any results: "I have spoken to the club twice, but nothing came of it, so I was quite calm about the matter."

The midfielder said that most of the negotiations this time were handled by his agent. He himself was focused on the World Cup and didn't really think he would leave Aston Villa in the summer.

The deal came as even more of a surprise because Tielemans had spent a long time playing in the Premier League but had never been clearly linked with a Big Six club. After Leicester City's relegation, he moved to Aston Villa on a free transfer and gradually regained his best form.

Tielemans acknowledged that Aston Villa played an important role in his career, but he also understood that the opportunity to play for Manchester United was a big step forward: "Aston Villa is a fantastic club and I am very grateful to them. They helped me regain my top form, so I am incredibly thankful."

Notably, Tielemans will not be a complete stranger to the new environment at Old Trafford as he reunites with Jonny Evans. The two spent four and a half years together at Leicester, before Evans joined the Manchester United coaching staff: "Jonny has always been a key figure. He always tries to coach young players and welcomed me at Leicester and now here."

The new United signing also had high praise for Marcus Rashford, who had played alongside him at Aston Villa. Tielemans was impressed by the English striker's humility, hard work, ball handling, and acceleration.

After a busy summer with the Belgian national team, Tielemans also confirmed that the injury that caused him to miss the World Cup quarter-final is no longer a concern. The midfielder believes his body was simply overloaded due to a packed schedule and is now ready for the new season with Manchester United.