Youri Tielemans

[PeterWithesShin]

Summer 2028, he'll be under his 3rd manager there, will be bombed out as the manager bemoans how he's come back for pre-season overweight and lazy as they desperately try and palm him off on loan to some mugs.

We'll be parading trophies, they'll be parading debt and still trying to get someone to pay for a new stadium the massive wankers.

Moving on him, Lucas and the other players opens up all kinds of exciting possibilities.

[Percy McCarthy]

^^ Spot on.

[steamer]

Yeh
fuck them

[PaulWinch again]

He’ll be a big loss however we like to spin it. He’s played a vital role for us. Hopefully it’s been timed right though and we can make the squad stronger overall.

[brontebilly]

I don't know why he'd want to go to Man Utd.

When Emi was linked last year with them they weren’t a CL side so it felt a little odd why he’d go there in his 30s. It’s different now. However you slice they are still one of the biggest clubs in the world and being back in the CL and seemingly a little more stable football wise (Carrick vs Amorim) they are going to be an attractive proposition. He’s a great addition to their side which has a lot of very good players. He will make them better.

Isn't Carrick another Ole? Results turn and he won't have the profile to turn around their dressing room. Selling to a rival is the sickener. Hopefully he's another Schweinsteiger for them.

[RamboandBruno]

When Dougie was sold we had Youri, the automatic replacement isnt there at the moment

[Chris Harte]

Initial reaction to this news was "fuuuuuuck!"

But a 29 year old with two years left on his deal and he keeps refusing contract offers from Villa, this was the last real chance to get a decent fee for him. Next summer it would have been £15m or less. So, thanks for the opener in Istanbul and it's a shame he's had to go there but then Carrick is a rookie manager who probably won't last the course, and of course, Villa get pure profit.

[BoVillan esq]

Heard this earlier today and was instantly shocked with disbelief thinking this was fake news, if their was one player I thought we would hang on to it was Youri, later in the day came Digne to PSG, again thought wtf is going on, these players will need to be replaced, well expecting the huge bombshell to hit after the World Cup, not just talking Watkins or Emi M, we must have something in the pipeline

[frank black]

Who we signing to replace him, any rumours?

[Ian.]

He’ll be a big loss however we like to spin it. He’s played a vital role for us. Hopefully it’s been timed right though and we can make the squad stronger overall.

It’s a really tough one to spin and even tougher to swallow. Gutted about this, but as someone else posted, at some point we’ve had to rebuild and it’s looking like it’s this summer when it’s happening.

He’s a fine player and going to be hard to replace.

[Rigadon]

The more I think about this the more fucked off I get. We were 2 players away from a title challenge, now it’s 3.  For them it’s one less.  A really shite transfer.

[Dogtanian]

We can’t make people play for us. He wants to move on, and that’s that.

[Exeter 77]

Does Tielemans joining them kill off any remote prospect of us signing Rashford? UEFA have started taking a dim view of players going in opposite directions during a transfer window haven't they?

[frank black]

Does Tielemans joining them kill off any remote prospect of us signing Rashford? UEFA have started taking a dim view of players going in opposite directions during a transfer window haven't they?

His wages probably do that TBF

[algy]

Another way to look at it.

He’s 29. He’s got 1 more contract in him before his transfer value is near enough £0.

He was injured for longer last season than any other 2 seasons he’s played combined. He’s been out with a calf injury for 4 of the last 5 seasons.

We’re recruiting from a position of strength right now - Champions League football, Europa League winners, …

We will also have to in any case almost completely rebuild the squad over the next 4-5 seasons. I don’t think the problem is as drastic as is sometimes made out to be, but we need to start dealing with it now, not in 2 years time when age starts to properly force our hand.

I dunno, I just have this gut feeling that we’re selling Tielemans at the right time. I think he’ll do okay at Man Utd, but I also think that he probably won’t shine like he has for us.