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Axel Tuanzebe struggled with injuries for the majority of the 2019-20 Premier League season. He came into the 2020-21 season desperate to make his mark and cement a spot in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's starting eleven. The 23-year-old center back produced a man-of-the-match performance against Paris Saint Germain in the Champions League on his return to the starting eleven. His sensational performance in Paris displayed how good he can be and Manchester United supporters wanted him to partner up with Harry Maguire for the rest of the season.
Since then, Tuanzebe's performances have gone downhill. The center back produced disastrous performances against Istanbul Basaksehir and Sheffield United. As a result, he was pushed down the pecking order by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Tuanzebe has everything in his locker to become successful at Manchester United. His incredible pace and strong physical stature make him the perfect partner for Harry Maguire at the center of the defense. So why has the Englishman failed to impress at Manchester United?
Injuries and lack of consistent game time has hampered Axel Tuanzebe's progress
Axel Tuanzebe impressed everyone with his performances during his loan spell at Aston Villa. His astute performances at the back for Villa in the Championship helped them secure promotion to the Premier League at the end of the 2018/19 season. Aston Villa manager Dean Smith was keen to keep hold of the Englishman for another season. However, Manchester United decided to recall the center back and give him the chance to prove his mettle at Old Trafford.
With Eric Bailly's poor injury record and Victor Lindelof's lack of consistency, Axel Tuanzebe was presented with the perfect opportunity to cement his position in the starting XI. However, serious injuries at the start of the campaign kept him out for the entirety of last season. By the time he returned from injury, Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire had already established themselves as the first-choice centre-back pair. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer stuck with the duo for the entirety of the season. That made it difficult for Axel Tuanzebe to get a consistent run in the team and his lack of game time hampered his progression. As a result, his performances on the pitch degraded and he has pushed down the pecking order.
What's next for Axel Tuanzebe?
Manchester United want to bring in a new center back this summer. This means Axel Tuanzebe will become the fifth-choice center back at the club and his game time will be reduced further. It would make perfect sense for the defender to seek a new challenge elsewhere and leave United either on loan or on a permanent deal this summer. If he gets regular game time and manages to stay injury-free, he could transform into a world class center back.
