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Aston Villa are in danger of not re-signing Axel Tuanzebe next season in what will be a bitter blow to Dean Smith.
Back in March, The Sun claimed that Manchester United could be willing to let the defender have a third loan spell with the club. However, The Mirror has since reported a u-turn from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who wants to give him a chance next term.
Tuanzebe has been hugely impressive in recent times, establishing a fine partnership alongside Tyrone Mings. However, his period at the club has been filled with time on the sidelines after sustaining a significant metatarsal injury in December and also missing games when he initially signed back in January 2018.
Despite that, the 6 ft 1 centre back has been a hit at Villa Park and could be a huge loss if he wasn’t to rejoin the Villans ahead of next season. With that in mind, Football FanCast writers have given their verdicts on the situation.
Jack Saville:
“Dean Smith will be gutted if he cannot secure Tuanzebe for another season. The 21-year-old has been brilliant for Villa this season and clearly has the potential to thrive in the Premier League. If Ole Gunnar Solskjaer does indeed decide to keep hold of the promising central defender next season, the onus will be on Villa to land Tyrone Mings otherwise they could find themselves in a major crisis in defence.”
Luke Glanville:
“Whilst the fact that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is planning to include Axel Tuanzebe in his first-team plans for next season is great for the player, it’s a disaster for Aston Villa. The defensive utility man has been a key member of Dean Smith’s squad this season and if they get promoted, they will have a lot to thank him for. Another year’s loan at Villa Park for the 21-year-old would hopefully help the club survive in the Premier League or get promoted at the fourth attempt. His loss and the loss of Jack Grealish for next campaign could be something the Midlanders struggle to come back from.”
Harry Sherlock:
“The fact that Tuanzebe could return to United and be a part of their first-team plans speaks volumes to his quality. When he was out with a metatarsal injury, Villa won just six of the 16 games he was absent for. Since his return, they haven’t lost. It would be catastrophic for him to return to Old Trafford; Villa need him far more than United do, after all.”