Man United Opinion: Red Devils should give Axel Tuanzebe a second chance to prove his worth
According to the Metro, Man United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjer has been urged by the members of his staff to give Aston Villa loanee Axel Tuanzebe a chance to prove his worth next season.
United’s staff members are of the opinion that Axel Tuanzebe can be the answer to United’s ongoing issues at the heart of the defence and they have prompted Solskjer to consider the 21-year-old as a potential option. (h/t Metro)
The Metro also understands that Solskjer is disappointed with the fitness levels of the defenders at the club and the Norwegian is preparing a rigorous pre-season training schedule for the first-team squad, with Tuanzebe a part of that procedure.
The same source reports that the youngster will get an opportunity to prove himself during United’s pre-season tours to Australia, Singapore and China ahead of the 2019-20 campaign.
Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tuanzebe joined United’s youth academy at the age of 8 and rose through the youth ranks before breaking into the first-team in the second half of the 2015-16 season when he was named as a substitute on the bench for a Premier League game against Crystal Palace.
However, it is in the 2016-17 season that he made his first-team debut, coming on as a substitute at home in the FA Cup against Wigan.
The 21-year-old featured sporadically for the Red Devils under former manager Jose Mourinho and made a total of 8 appearances in all competitions before being shipped out on loan to Aston Villa in the second half of the 2017-18 season.
Mourinho was apparently not convinced with the youngster’s abilities and sent him on loan to Villa Park once again last summer.
The loan spell at Villa has worked wonders for Tuanzebe’s development. He was an undisputed starter alongside James Chester at the heart of Villa’s defence in the Championship earlier in the season before fracturing his metatarsal back in December.
However, the youngster has reclaimed his starting role upon his return from injury and, most recently, starred in the 1-1 draw against Leeds United. In all, the England youth international has made a total of 26 appearances for the Lions in all competitions this season.
To put things into perspective, Tuanzebe has done really well on his loan spell at Villa Park, despite suffering a setback due to an injury, and a player of his potential certainly deserves a second chance to prove himself worthy of a place in United’s Premier League squad for the upcoming season.
There is a reason why he is held in such high regard by the faithful at Old Trafford and Solskjaer should not hesitate to accommodate him in his plans heading into the next season.
Lack of depth and stability at the back has been a major Achilles Heel for United this season. The likes of Chris Smalling, Victor Lindelof, Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo, Matteo Darmian and Eric Bailly have all struggled for form and fitness and neither of them has managed to string together a series of consistent displays at the back.
It should be quite clear to even a layman that the Red Devils cannot compete with the very best with their existing defensive options and a major overhaul is required if they are to challenge for silverware.
With the likes of Darmian, Rojo and Bailly looking set for an exit this summer, United will need to invest in another centre-back but they could save themselves a fortune in the transfer market by giving Tuanzebe a chance.
A fast, agile and athletic defender, who is noted for his calmness, composure and incredible ball-playing abilities, the youngster combines his footballing intelligence and astute positioning with his pace and power to keep the attackers at bay.
Strong in the air and quick across the ground, he has already earned rave reviews for his sound understanding of the game and he seemingly has all the attributes to make a big impact in the Premier League in the years to come.
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It is high time for United to make use of some of their talented academy starlets in a bid to regain their lost glory.
With someone like Solskjaer at the helm of affairs, the Red Devils should prioritise the development of talented youngsters like Tuanzebe as a part of a long-term project at Old Trafford.
Tuanzebe is still a bit raw and rough in his edges but he has the potential to go all the way and United would do themselves a world of good by accommodating him in their first team plans.
