Former Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe has emerged on Ipswich Town’s transfer radar.
Ipswich Town are interested in signing former Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe as a free agent.
Tuanzebe has a connection with Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna, which could persuade him to join the club.
Signing Tuanzebe would be a good move for Ipswich, as he has a strong track record in the Championship and could potentially help the team compete for promotion to the Premier League.
Ipswich Town are interested in signing former Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe, according to TEAMtalk
The Tractor Boys are keen to bring Tuanzebe to Portman Road after his release by the Red Devils, but they face competition for his signature from newly-promoted Premier League side Sheffield United.
Tuanzebe is known to Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna after the pair worked together at Old Trafford and the club “hope the presence of McKenna could be enough to persuade the once-capped former England U21 defender to make the move”.
The 25-year-old came through United’s academy, making his debut for the first team against Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup in January 2017.
He made 37 senior appearances for the Red Devils, including featuring in the Champions League, but much of his time at the club was spent out on loan, with three temporary spells at Aston Villa followed by stints with Napoli and most recently, Stoke City.
Tuanzebe joined the Potters on loan in January, but injury restricted him to just five appearances in all competitions during his time at the bet365 Stadium.
Ipswich Town’s summer business
The Tractor Boys are preparing for life back in the Championship after their promotion from League One last season.
Ipswich enjoyed a relentless second half of the season, going unbeaten in their final 19 games to secure promotion, while they accumulated 98 points and scored an incredible 101 league goals throughout the campaign.
McKenna’s side are widely expected to be competitive in the second tier and the 37-year-old has been active in the market this summer, bringing in Jack Taylor from Peterborough United, Cieran Slicker from Manchester City, George Hirst on a permanent basis from Leicester City and Omari Hutchinson on loan from Chelsea.
After his side’s pre-season schedule came to an end, McKenna suggested there could be more new additions before the end of the transfer window.
“I think we pinpointed that (adding 2-3 more players) quite a while ago, but that ends the fixture part of pre-season, so it’s probably a good time to sit down and have a look,” McKenna told the East Anglian Daily Times.
“I’ll get updated on where we’re at. We’ve said all along that we want to keep improving the squad, but we’ve also said that we have a good group of players here with chemistry and an understanding who are ready to try and compete next season.
“It’s about bringing in the right players that we want to add to the group. We need to be patient with that, we need to work hard and we need to continue to try and work in that logical way.”
Would Axel Tuanzebe be a good signing for Ipswich Town?
Tuanzebe would be an excellent signing for the Tractor Boys.
He impressed in his limited appearances for Stoke last season and if he can stay fit, he could be a huge asset for Ipswich, while he has a strong Championship track record, having won promotion from the division with Villa in 2019.
It could be tough for Tuanzebe to turn down the opportunity to play in the Premier League with the Blades, but the Tractor Boys are a club on an upward trajectory and they could be competing for a place in the top flight themselves in the not-too-distant future.
Tuanzebe has struggled to fulfil his potential in recent years, but McKenna could be the perfect manager to reignite his career.