Aston Villa are ready to offer a permanent deal to Axel Tuanzebe as they look to bring the Manchester United defender back to Villa Park.
According to a recent report from The Telegraph, Aston Villa have stepped up their pursuit of Axel Tuanzebe. They are aware of the precarious situation the defender is facing at Manchester United and are ready to offer him a way out of Old Trafford this summer.
United themselves are open to listening to offers for the young centre-back, knowing his contract expires at the end of next season. It may force the Premier League giants to offload him for free next season, thus opening up an avenue for Aston Villa to snap him up for a cut-price this month.
A product of the United youth academy, Tuanzebe is quite familiar with Villa, having spent one and a half years at Villa Park from January 2018 to May 2019. The defender had made quite the impact as well, establishing himself as a regular in Dean Smith’s four-man backline during the 2018/19 campaign.
Although his progress was halted by an injury, Tuanzebe did feature in 25 league matches. His performances were crucial in helping Aston Villa gain promotion back to the top-flight. He is not the only former loan player the club is keeping an eye on, however, as Smith is also interested in the services of Tammy Abraham.
The duo, in fact, played together for Aston Villa during the 2018/19 season, with the latter ending up scoring 25 goals in the Premier League. Neither of them were able to return to Villa Park, though, forcing the club to find other alternatives in the market.
Speaking of which, Aston Villa have already appeared quite active in the market this summer. They have wrapped up the signing of Emi Buendia, whereas Leon Bailey has reportedly agreed personal terms. The potential arrival of Abraham could further enhance their quality in the attack.
However, Villa may require some depth in the defensive department, especially someone who can compete with the first-choice central defensive duo of Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings.
Axel Tuanzebe fits the role perfectly due to his past experience with Dean Smith. He has already shown that he can emerge as a quality defender in the Premier League and should give the two central defenders a run for their money.
The 23-year-old is quite a gettable target as well, having fallen down the pecking order after the addition of Raphael Varane from Real Madrid this summer. His expiring contract, in particular, makes him a potential bargain for Aston Villa as the Englishman not only offers quality but also promise and potential.
