Aston Villa Opinion: Axel Tuanzebe’s return to Villa Park could hand the Lions a massive boost

According to the Daily Mail, Aston Villa are set to launch a bid to bring Man United loanee Axel Tuanzebe back to Villa Park this summer after the 21-year-old played a key role in their promotion-winning campaign in the Championship the last term.

Daily Mail understands that Villa are hoping to complete a permanent deal for Tuanzebe for around £8 million, although it is still unclear what plans United manager Ole Gunnar Solskajer have in mind for the youngster next season.

The Lions might, however, have to settle for a loan deal once again if United decide against letting Tuanzebe depart permanently. The England U-21 made his senior professional debut for Man United back in 2017 under Jose Mourinho but he has just featured on 8 occasions for the Red Devils in all competitions till date.

Aston Villa would preferably want to bring Tuanzebe back in a permanent deal, but if United do not agree to such a move, then the Lions should probably look at another loan deal with an option to buy.

However, with Solskjaer aiming for a youthful overhaul of his squad this summer, the Norwegian might as well want the centre-back to be a part of his first-team plans for the upcoming season, although the chances of Tuanzebe playing regularly at Old Trafford next term looks relatively slim.

Despite struggling with injuries, Tuanzebe made a total of 31 appearances for Aston Villa in all competitions last season, including 28 in the Championship.

The Lions struggled for stability at the back over the course of the first half of the previous campaign but the 21-year-old held his own amidst his team’s defensive woes and earned rave reviews for his consistently impressive displays.

Standing at 6ft.1 inch with a well-built frame, Tuanzebe is not particularly tall for a centre-back but he makes up for it with his pace, agility, sharpness, athleticism and good game-reading skills.

A fast and agile defender blessed with wonderful ball-playing qualities,  the 21-year-old is not only quick across the ground but he is also adept at using his upper body strength to win aerial balls inside the box.

Tuanzebe showed a lot of maturity and calmness at the back in the Championship last season and Villa have every reason to look at him as a viable option in the Premier League.

The 21-year-old boasted of a pass accuracy rate of 84.5, including 2.4 long balls, 1.1 tackles, 0.9 interceptions, 3.9 clearances per game, figures which speak volumes of his well-rounded attributes as a central defender.

To put things into perspective, Axel Tuanzebe lacks Premier League experience but his return to Villa Park, preferably on a permanent deal, could add a lot of depth to Aston Villa’s backline.

It is true that the Lions need to add top-flight experience to their backline, but given his the 21-year-old’s exploits in the Championship last season, it won’t be a bad idea for them to bring him back as a part of their plans heading into the upcoming campaign.

Tuanzebe is not the finished article by any means but he showed considerable signs of improvement under the tutelage of Dean Smith and John Terry the last term.

The youngster is highly-rated by the hierarchy at Old Trafford and Villa would eventually need to polish a few gems of their own if they are to remain in the top-flight for the foreseeable future.

Villa have already demonstrated their ambitions with the club-record acquisition of striker Wesley Moraes, whilst also striking deals for Wolves loanee Kortney Hause, Lille loanee Anwar El Ghazi and Birmingham City playmaker Jota.

The Lions are currently short of cover at the back following the release of players like Ritchie de Laet, Alan Hutton, Mile Jedinak and Tommy Elphick, and Tuanzebe’s return could possibly hand them a massive boost, with a permanent deal for Bournemouth loanee Tyrone Mings yet to be sorted out.

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Keeping that in mind, Villa should leave no stone unturned in their efforts to bring Axel Tuanzebe back to the club for at least another season, if not, on a permanent basis.