Errmmm. Ok then.
Good work guys, here you go…
✍️ We are delighted to announce the signing of Axel Tuanzebe on loan from @ManUtd…#PartOfThePride #AVFC pic.twitter.com/xbEvMjOYMU
Aston Villa FC (@AVFCOfficial) January 25, 2018
Some of the excited reactions after Tony Xia confirmed the loan signing are a bit strange.
We`re basically a feeder club at the moment then? And we are meant to be excited? The FFP rules make a mockery out of football.
Hey ho. So… what have we got then?
Wiki say: Axel Tuanzebe (born 14 November 1997) is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League club Manchester United. He has represented England at under-19, under-20 and under-21 levels
So certainly a hot prospect.
Does that excite? For me, not really, because don`t we have our own hot prospect defenders of a similar age?
IF this had an option to buy, then yes, great.
He has featured five times for the senior team which shows he is obviously held in high regard at Old Trafford. But how does a loan to us progress him? We need cover if James Chester or John Terry get injured, IF Elphick is leaving that leaves a space because Chris Samba is currently injured and the latter part of his career has been littered with such injuries (hence I didn`t understand him being signed at all!)
Again on Wiki On 29 January 2017, Tuanzebe made his Manchester United debut as a 68th-minute substitute. On 7 May 2017, Tuanzebe started a senior match for the first time, in a 2-0 defeat against Arsenal in the Premier League. He won the Denzil Haroun Reserve Team Player of the Year award in May 2017. 2017-18 season Tuanzebe made his first start of the season against Swansea City in the EFL Cup on 24 October 2017. On 5 December 2017, he made his European debut in a 2-1 victory over CSKA Moscow in the UEFA Champions League.
He is contracted at Manchester United until 2020 and they have a further one year option on him, so this loan looks to be one to get him more first team football, as opposed to trying to offload him.
A quote I read in the Birmingham Mail from Jose Mourinho earlier this month: “Axel Tuanzebe plays in a position where I have so many players, today on the bench I had Marcos Rojo and Victor Lindelof, and Eric Bailly is still in recovery, so I’m not giving the chances to Axel.
“So probably Axel is the only one that I open the door for him to go and play because I believe he is a really good talent and he needs to play.”
But unless the first two choices get injured, where does Axel fit in? Now Steve Bruce has obvious links and contacts at Manchester United. Could this young player be being looked at as a holding midfielder? With Jedinak and Whelan picking up a lot of injuries, maybe this is where Axel could slot in?
I would say I look forward to seeing him in action, but … and sorry, I`m not trying to be negative … I really don`t. Aston Villa, a feeder club for Manchester United and Spurs. It depresses me. I UNDERSTAND those are the rules, we are allowed to do it, the FFP blocks purchases (although Man City seemed able to get around it!) but I also look at our academy and wonder what this sort of thing does for the moral of those running it and for the young players trying to break through.
I speak on this from a position of ignorance, Bruce and the youth set up know what is what (one would hope!) but I thought Easah Suliman was a hot prospect? Why not have him as cover instead of loaning him out? It could be that he is a hot prospect and just isn`t ready.
Mat K of the Birmingham Mail at least has some positive quotes from the player who has had other offers but wants to help us get promotion. So that’s great to read.
Encouraging stuff from AT. Get the sense he means business.
“First and foremost it was the promotion that intrigued me.
“There were a lot of other offers but I think the challenge of winning promotion here stood out.” #AVFC #MUFC pic.twitter.com/DnClJtOhxW Mat Kendrick (@MatKendrick) January 25, 2018
Anyway, welcome to Aston Villa Axel, I actually hope you aren`t called upon because one would assume if you are, it`s due to an injury to one of our first choice defenders. But if you are called upon, I hope you play blinders for us. Certainly looks like the lad has a red hot career ahead of him. Must be amazing to be that age with the world at your feet.
I suppose I’ve just got to get over ‘where we are at’. It will be intriguing to see where he is played and what he can bring to the party. If he can help us gain promotion, then whoop and all those sorts of things and who knows, maybe then we’d be able to buy him?
📽️ Our new signing is clear of what he wants to achieve whilst he’s at the club…
First interview in full 👉 https://t.co/Ci55TOGTfT#WelcomeAxel #AVFC pic.twitter.com/314L3tpwAB
Aston Villa FC (@AVFCOfficial) January 25, 2018
