Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe has reportedly emerged as a transfer target for Turkish outfit Trabzonspor this summer.
According to Turkish publications Fanatik and Sabah, as relayed by Sport Witness, Trabzonspor have shown an interest in signing Manchester United academy graduate Axel Tuanzebe in the ongoing transfer window.
Axel Tuanzebe is a product of the Manchester United youth setup and has been at the club since 2005. The defender made his senior debut for the Red Devils in May 2017 under then-manager Jose Mourinho as a 19-year-old. He has since made a total of 37 appearances for the club while having spells away on loan in the recent past.
Tuanzebe spent the first half of the 2021/22 campaign at Aston Villa but moved to Napoli in January until the end of the season. His decision to move to Italy backfired as the 24-year-old played just twice for the Serie A outfit before returning to Manchester United at the end of the season.
Now that he is back at the club, Tuanzebe finds himself staring at an uncertain future at Old Trafford. Even though Eric Bailly and Phil Jones could leave, Manchester United still have Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof ahead of the academy graduate in the pecking order.
On top of that, Manchester United are also closing in on the €50 million signing of Lisandro Martinez from AFC Ajax. Given the competition for spots, Tuanzebe is unlikely to find a place in Erik ten Hag’s plans for the upcoming campaign. And with just one year left on his contract, an exit from Old Trafford could be on the cards.
Trabzonspor could offer Tuanzebe an escape route this summer. The Turkish outfit are looking at bolstering their defensive options and have Shakhtar Donetsk’s Marlon as their primary target. But if that move falls through, they have discussed the possibility of signing Tuanzebe as a possible target, although their interest in the Manchester United ace is at a very initial stage.
Brighton & Hove Albion have also shown an interest in Tuanzebe, although they have also not made any concrete approach for the 24-year-old ace. As things stand, though, Tuanzebe is likely to leave Manchester United, and it remains to be seen where he ends up.
