Aston Villa have reportedly enquired about a possible loan move for Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe, with a return to the club seemingly an option.
The 23-year-old was part of the Villa side that secured promotion back to the Premier League in 2019, before he returned to Utd after that loan spell to try and establish himself in the first-team at Old Trafford.
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It hasn’t gone to plan for him since as his chances of regular football will take another hit this summer with the arrival of Rafael Varane, and so as per the Express and Star, it has now been reported that he could be on the move again this summer with another loan stint at Villa a possible option.
Given Dean Smith knows him well and is familiar with what he can offer the side, it could be a sensible addition if he believes that he improves the squad and will help us compete at the level at which we’re trying to reach.
Further, with Bjorn Engels moving on this summer which in turn leaves a lack of quality depth behind Ezri Konsa on the right side of the centre-half pairing, Tuanzebe could be an important signing to ensure we have enough cover across the season to deal with any injury or suspension setbacks.
That said, he will have to accept that he isn’t likely to be first choice in defence for Villa given Konsa’s solid partnership with Tyrone Mings in the heart of the backline, and so that could ultimately count against us when he considers his possible loan options.
Time will tell how the situation plays out, as while Villa will be looking to add another player in that department, it remains to be seen if Tuanzebe is the short-term solution, or if we’ll push for a permanent deal for him or an alternative target instead.