Manchester United defender attracting interest from fellow Premier League side

Aston Villa have a ‘strong interest’ in Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe, reports Football Insider. 

The Premier League side have registered their interest in signing the defender on loan again this summer. Dean Smith’s side are in the market for a new senior centre-back this summer after offloading defender Bjorn Engles to Royal Antwerp.

A Villa source has told Football Insider that the club have a “concrete” interest in Tuanzebe, 23, and will make a move if they are given encouragement. Smith wants a young defender with Premier League experience to provide cover and competition for first-choice duo Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa.

Tuanzebe fits the profile Smith wants, young, hungry, and has Premier League experience. Villa’s plan is for the Man United man to challenge Mings and Konsa, as well as back-up Kourtney Hause. It’s unsure if the 20-time champions will allow Tuanzebe to leave the club either temporarily or permanently this summer.

He was on the fringes of Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer’s team last season, making 19 appearances across all competitions but only four Premier League starts. Three of those came in May at the end of the campaign, which suggests he could still have a future at Old Trafford.

Tuanzebe has a year remaining on his current United deal, with the club having an option to extend by a further 12 months. The 23-year-old joined Villa on loan for the 2018-19 season and played a key role in their promotion campaign.

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