Tielemans: Aston Villa? A Surprise. Manchester United? About Damn Time.

First time speaking since he landed at United, the Belgian midfielder spun a yarn about how this whole thing just sort of... happened. "Not really, no," Tielemans flatly told Sky Sports, when someone bothered to ask if he'd seen himself ditching Villa this summer. Right.

All those prior chats between the clubs? Fizzled out. So Tielemans, naturally, just put his head down. World Cup prep. That was the focus. Not his future. "I was not expecting much," he said. "I was just focused on my football, focused on the World Cup, trying to perform as best as I could for my country. Then every summer something can happen." A convenient narrative, if ever there was one.

United, in a move that blindsided plenty of us, just triggered his £35m release clause. Swift. Under the radar. Given Tielemans has been kicking around the Premier League for eight years, showing his class all the while, and is still in prime form, it felt… overdue. He arrived at Villa for nothing, after Leicester went down. The big-club leap never quite happened for him. Until now, that is. Funny how that works.

Does he regret the old stomping grounds? Not a chance. "Aston Villa is a great club and I owe them the world," he declared. "They have put me back at my best level." Noble words. Still, he's not blind. "There are still clubs above Aston Villa, and Manchester United is one of them." A man states the bleeding obvious.

At least the new digs aren't totally alien. Jonny Evans, now part of Michael Carrick's staff, shared four and a half years with Tielemans back at Leicester. And that Marcus Rashford fella? Just finished a loan spell at Villa Park. Small world, isn't it?