Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe is set to return to Old Trafford this summer with his loan spell at Napoli having been an unmitigated disaster.
The young centre-back joined the Serie A giants on loan in January in an effort to gain more experience but he was barely afforded any chances at the Estadio Diego Armando Maradona, making just two appearances for the club.
He has not played a single minute of league action since early January having been afforded a brief cameo in a 1-0 win against Sampdoria. Further, he was not named in the side's squad for much their participation in the the Europa League, which ended with defeat by Barcelona in February.
The 24-year-old has struggled with injuries, missing a month with a back issue, and has been named as an unused substitute since his return in mid-March. His loan spell then hit a new low at the weekend having been left out of the squad entirely for the 3-0 victory over Genoa.
Tuanzebe’s only other outing for Napoli came in the 5-2 Coppa Italia defeat by Fiorentina earlier this season. His failed spell in Italy rounds off a hugely underwhelming campaign for the academy graduate.
Tuanzebe started the season with Premier League side Aston Villa, with the defender accumulating 11 appearances before electing to make the switch to Italy. However, he will now return to Old Trafford in the summer and faces an uncertain future amid the imminent arrival of new boss Erik ten Hag.
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His contract with United expires next summer - with the option of an extra year - and he appears unlikely to figure in the club’s plans. The Red Devils already have a wealth of options in his position including Harry Maguire, Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof, Eric Bailly and Phil Jones, although it remains to be seen how many of those will still be at the club next season.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that the club are keen to add another central defender to their ranks ahead of next term, a move that would push Tuanzebe even further down the pecking order. The former England Under-21 international will hope to wrap up his short spell in Italy with an outing as Napoli’s Serie A season concludes against Spezia next weekend having already secured a Champions League berth.
Intriguingly, Tuanzebe’s agent has already criticised the Red Devils’ treatment of the defender. Speaking to Radio Punto Nuovo back in January, Fabrizio Ferrari said: “I believe that Manchester United has made particular decisions for the growth of their young players.
“I don’t think they have a policy to improve their training. They are confusing in the management of players under contract. Tuanzebe has returned to these managerial changes.”
The young defender has been part of the Red Devils’ set-up since the age of eight and has gone on to accumulate 37 appearances for the club in all competitions.
