Football Insider exclusive as Youri Tielemans stares towards Aston Villa manager Unai Emery, who looks disappointed in a circular inset.
Football Insider exclusive as Youri Tielemans stares towards Aston Villa manager Unai Emery, who looks disappointed in a circular inset.
That is according to former Villa chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes that the midfielder's agent encouraged him to write the release clause into his contract.
The Belgian has just joined United in a deal worth £35million, signing a lucrative five-year contract at Old Trafford after the club triggered his release clause.
Wyness believes that release clauses are a "necessary evil" for clubs like Villa to attract top players, even if they have been stung twice in recent days with Tielemans and Lucas Digne.
The latter is on the verge of a move to join PSG, with the Villans set to receive a fee of below £10m for the veteran left-back.
The second city outfit have faced a difficult few days in the transfer market, but Wyness does not believe these sales will deter them from continuing to use release clauses.
Why did Aston Villa sanction Youri Tielemans release clause?
Villa's former chief Wyness - who served as CEO at Villa Park between 2016 and 2018 and now runs a consultancy business advising elite clubs - believes that the club added in Tielemans' release clause to provide "security" if he failed to live up to expectations when he was first signed.
The Scottish businessman called upon his experience of negotiating transfers in the boardroom to explain how Villa will just have to grit their teeth and accept the Belgian's loss.
Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider's Inside Track podcast, he also outlined the role that the player's agent had to play.
"Look, I think there's no doubt it's been a bad week in that sense that Tielemans and Digne go for such low money and the release clauses were in there," Wyness said.
"I must have been involved in about 250 transfers in my time in football and release clauses have grown more into the game recently than before. It can be a recruitment tool as much as anything else.
"For Tielemans, his agent would have ensured that he had a really low release clause at £35m, but still Villa would have judged that. They have to think about the situation. What if he flops? So it's just a way to get players in knowing that they've got the security if the team dips in form.
"So it works both ways, and I'm afraid it's just the way it is. The way that clubs often try and compete is that they'll try and re-sign a new contract for the player if he's doing really well, with an increase in the release clause.
"But that's not always possible, not always easy, and it's certainly one of the areas where player power is becoming manifested. It's just a necessary evil, and it can cut both ways."
Aston Villa exploring Julian Quinones deal
Football Insider revealed earlier this week that Villa are continuing to explore a move for Al Qadsiah forward Julian Quinones this summer.
The Mexico international ended the 2025-26 campaign as the Saudi Pro League's leading goalscorer, with a stunning 33 strikes from just 31 games.
His wages in the Middle East are expected to pose an obstacle to Villa getting a deal over the line, given that the 29-year-old is on a hefty package at the moment.
Quinones starred for Mexico at this summer's World Cup, netting four goals and one assist while cutting in from the left wing.