Axel Tuanzebe was once tipped to achieve big things in a Manchester United shirt and had a keen admirer in Jose Mourinho, but things haven't gone to plan.
In what was the self-proclaimed 'Special One's' first pre-season game in charge of the Red Devils back in the summer of 2016, Mourinho handed Tuanzebe a cameo appearance off the bench in place of Eric Bailly in the 80th minute. The then-United boss insisted that was all the young defender needed to make an impression.
"You can play 90 minutes or one minute, sometimes one minute is enough," Mourinho told MUTV. "With Axel, 10 minutes is enough. I only needed 10 minutes to know his potential, you can see it immediately."
Nearly seven years on, it is safe to say that potential Mourinho mentions is yet to be realised. Tuanzebe was 18 years old when the former United boss made those comments, he is now 25 and on the verge of leaving Old Trafford on a free transfer.
The United academy graduate is out of contract in July and both the player and club have already agreed it would suit both parties best if Tuanzebe was to find a new club on a permanent basis, as per The Sun.
It will mark the end of what has been an incredibly lengthy stay at Old Trafford, with Tuanzebe first joining the Red Devils as an eight-year-old. He leaves having made 37 appearances, one of which as captain when United took on Rochdale at home in the Carabao Cup in 2019.
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That fixture saw Tuanzebe make history, as he became the youngest player to captain a United team since Norman Whiteside back in 1985.
The Congo-born defender will also depart Old Trafford having captained the club at every level throughout his rise to the first-team.
Tuanzebe has already spent plenty of time playing football elsewhere in recent years after loan spells at Aston Villa, Napoli and Stoke City.
However, things haven't always been easy at any of those clubs either, with regular injuries restricting Tuanzebe to just 18 appearances over the last three seasons.
Despite this, there are still a number of potential suitors keen on handing Tuanzebe a fresh start, including United's long-term rivals Leeds, currently battling to maintain Premier League status for next season.
Tuanzebe may have to put United rivalries aside to give himself the best possible chance of kickstarting what is undeniably a flatlining career.
