Transfer News: Aston Villa interested in Manchester United star Axel Tuanzebe
According to the Birmingham Mail, Aston Villa recently enquired about the possibility of landing Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe on loan for the upcoming season.
The 24-year-old is surplus to requirements at Old Trafford following the imminent arrival of Raphael Varane. With Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly all ahead of him in the pecking order, Tuanzebe is at best the fifth choice central defender at the club.
This does not augur well for a player of his age, who should be playing regularly. A loan move away is the ideal solution for all parties and an option United are ready to consider. Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has in no uncertain terms admitted that Tuanzebe’s immediate future lies away from the Theatre of Dreams.
Villa have shown interest in bringing their former star back to the club after the departure of Bjorn Engels. Dean Smith now has only three centre-backs – Ezri Konsa, Kortney Hause and Tyrone Mings. Adding Tuanzebe to the mix will add strength in depth for the Villans.
The player is no stranger to Villa Park, having spent more than a year on loan at the Midlands club. During that time, he made 35 appearances as Villa won promotion to the Premier League in 2019. The Villans have remained interested since and were linked with a move for him earlier this year. (h/t Birmingham Mail)
However, a move this time around will not necessarily guarantee game time. This is because both Mings and Konsa have formed a formidable partnership at the back and will take some moving. Unlike many other positions, understanding between the two centre-backs is key and it remains to be seen if Dean Smith is willing to risk an established duo to incorporate the youngster.
Newcastle United are also in the mix for the player and it remains to be seen if Steve Bruce’s side can now take the initiative. Despite the drawback, there are also advantages to Tuanzebe returning to Villa. He will certainly get decent game at Villa Park even if he is not an automatic starter and in Dean Smith, he has a manager familiar with his strengths.
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Tuanzebe’s ability however is unquestioned. In fact, he earned widespread praise last October for his performance in United’s Champions League group stage win at Paris Saint-Germain. However, it failed to boost his chances of playing regularly at Old Trafford.
Hopefully, he can showcase his talents elsewhere and hand Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a new headache regarding team selection next season.
