It seems as though Axel Tuanzebe's time at Manchester United is coming to an end, with reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano reporting that the player will leave the club on a free when the season finishes.
What is the latest on Axel Tuanzebe's Man United exit?
The defender has spent the second half of the 2022/23 season on loan at Stoke, having struggled to get Premier League minutes at Old Trafford in the first part of the campaign. Despite joining the Potters back in January though, the player has managed just four appearances – and only three starts – at the bet365 Stadium, with the Championship season for the Potters now done and dusted.
Prior to his move into the second tier, the 25-year-old was shipped out to Napoli in a bid to get more playing time. That move resulted in just one Serie A appearance though and – in his stint before that – he was handed only six starts by Aston Villa too. His last consistent run of gametime came with the Villains all the way back when they were in the Championship themselves.
With the Red Devils, Tuanzebe has struggled to break into the first-team picture. He's managed just ten Premier League starts in five seasons with the club and has not had a single minute of league playing time for United since Erik Ten Hag took over. Now, with the defender unable to break into the fold, it appears he will now be shown the door.
According to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano, the 25-year-old will be released by United this summer and can find a new club on a free. He stated: "It’s over between Manchester United and Axel Tuanzebe. The English CB will leave the club as free agent at the end of the season, decision made.
"After Aston Villa, Napoli and Stoke City loans, Tuanzebe is now looking for new chapter."
Are Man United correct to let Axel Tuanzebe leave?
The Red Devils not only have a strong academy setup but are capable of signing some of the best players on the world stage because of their finances and their standing in the game. It means that a player like Tuanzebe, who is now halfway through his twenties and has yet to get a run in the side, is unlikely to ever get regular minutes at Old Trafford.
That isn't to say the defender can't do a solid job elsewhere if he can stay fit. During his appearances for Stoke this season for example, he managed a respectable 6.60 WhoScored rating and also managed 1.3 tackles per game with four clearances. Even if you look at the run he had for United in the Europa League back in 2019/20, it shows he is well capable of producing at a good level. He managed a WhoScored rating average of 7.22 during his four appearances in the competition and even picked up a Man of the Match award.
Tuanzebe then would be a good pick up for any number of teams this summer – but there's unliekly to be any United gametime in the future, so it is likely the right call.