In a recent interview with Football Insider, former Scotland defender Russell Edge urged Aston Villa to re-sign Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe when he said,
“I’d actually like to see him (Tuanzebe) back at Villa, if I’m being honest.
“I’m really surprised he hasn’t had more opportunities in the Man United first team. I know he’s had injuries and I think this season he was tipped to be on the verge of breaking through, he was in a lot of squads but obviously injury upset that.
“He’s a really exciting young player. I was hoping Villa got him after last season but it didn’t quite work out.”
Tuanzebe’s Injury Frustrations At The Theatre Of Dreams
Tuanzebe had to settle for another disappointing campaign at Old Trafford as he struggled to earn a regular run of games for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first-team over the past 12 months. The Bunia-born defender could only manage to make 11 appearances for the Red Devils in the previous campaign, receiving a total of 701 minutes of playing time across various competitions.
The 22-year-old missed a significant chunk of the 2019-20 Premier League campaign because of multiple injuries. He struggled to perform at a high level and ended the season with an average of 0.5 tackles, 0.9 interceptions and 1.4 clearances per game in the English top tier and the UEFA Europa League. At least Tuanzebe was quite tidy with his ball-distribution after making 91.5% of his attempted passes in European football (stats via whoscored).
What Are The English Youngster’s Best Attributes?
Tuanzebe has got decent pace in his locker that helps him pull off some lung-bursting recovering runs at the back. The English prospect is a strong centre-back and can be a dominant presence in the air when he is playing well on the field. He tends to work hard in maintaining a good defensive shape inside his half, but can sometimes be guilty of making some poor errors of judgement.
Should Dean Smith Bring Tuanzebe Back To Villa Park This Summer?
Tuanzebe is still relatively young and would need time to develop himself into a regular feature in the Premier League. If Aston Villa boss Dean Smith is looking to add more depth to his squad, then it makes sense for him to consider a move for the Man United starlet this summer.
The English defensive ace will offer some much-needed competition for the likes of Tyrone Mings, Kortney Hause and Björn Engels in the race to earn a regular spot in Smith’s starting XI next season. Plus, Tuanzebe’s potential acquisition could enable the Villans to be more competitive in the domestic cup competitions in the years to come.
The one-time England U-21 international participated in 36 matches in his previous spell at Villa Park, so he won’t take too much time settling into life at the West Midlands. All in all, Smith should listen to Russell Edge’s advice by engineering a move to re-sign Tuanzebe in this off-season.
