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Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe's agent has revealed why the defender decided to cut short his loan deal with Aston Villa and join Napoli instead. Tuanzebe had joined Villa on a season-long loan at the start of the season but decided to terminate the deal and move to Italy.
Tuanzebe's agent, Dimitri Tuanzebe of Millennial Sports Management, has claimed Steven Gerrard's appointment as Aston Villa manager played a part in his decision. He went as far as to say that it seemed the 'rivalry between Manchester United and Liverpool came to life'.
Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard joined Aston Villa as manager in November 2021 following the sacking of Dean Smith. Tuanzebe made six Premier League starts before the former Liverpool midfielder's arrival, but none after.
“Axel is very excited to begin a new chapter in his football career, playing abroad and for a club with so much history behind it and fans who worship football,” Tuanzebe's agent told ESPN.
“Axel didn't decide to move until it became very clear that he isn't the manager's first-choice centre-back and the Napoli offer was very tempting," he explained. "I have a lot of mixed emotions when it comes to Axel's time at Villa. He is loved by the fans as he contributed highly to the club's success in the Championship.
“However, following the arrival of Steven Gerrard at Villa Park, it felt as if the rivalry between Man United and Liverpool came to life," he continued. "For the avoidance of doubts, Axel was very open to staying at Villa. But he also has a career that he can only build and reach his full potential in an environment where opportunities to play are fair."
Tuanzebe has already made his debut for Napoli, coming on as a second-half substitute in their 1-0 Serie A win over Sampdoria on Sunday.
Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard will seek revenge when Manchester United visit Aston Villa on Saturday
Aston Villa fell to a 1-0 defeat to Manchester United in the third round of the FA Cup on Monday to bow out of the competition. But Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has a chance to exact quick revenge when Villa welcome Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday.
Villa are currently 13th in the league and are pushing for a strong finish to the season to end up in the top half of the table. They recently completed the signing of former Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona on a loan deal.
Coutinho is expected to be available for the Aston Villa v Manchester United Premier League clash.
