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Had Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho known that he would fail to bring a new centre-back to Old Trafford in the summer, there is every chance that Axel Tuanzebe would not have been allowed to move on loan at Aston Villa.

Indeed, defence has been a real issue for United this season, and whilst the likes of Phil Jones and Eric Bailly are struggling, Tuanzebe is starring at Villa Park.

The Chalkboard

Now, it almost goes without saying that the Premier League is an entirely different kettle of fish to the Championship. Jones would probably be the standout defender in the second tier of English football, but the Englishman’s form in recent games has been disappointing.

Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelof have both been okay defensively, but Marcos Rojo is not the class of player that United need, and it is not a surprise that Mourinho is so desperate to bring a new centre-back to Old Trafford.

The 20-time English champions do need to sign a top-drawer central defender either in January or at the end of the season, but Tuanzebe should certainly be given the chance to secure a first-team spot during the 2019-2020 campaign.

Indeed, a whole season of uninterrupted Championship football would do Tuanzebe the world of good, and he should return to Old Trafford as a 21-year-old looking to nail-down a first-team position.

Tuanzebe’s United career thus far…

Eight first-team appearances. Five of those came in the Premier League, including four during the 2016-17 season.

Tuanzebe has actually been with United since the age of eight, and was a member of their Milk Cup winning youth teams in both 2013 and 2014, before landing the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award in 2015.

The 6ft 1in defender’s first-team debut came in January 2017 when he appeared as a substitute in a 4-0 win over Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup.

An ankle injury meant that Tuanzebe’s long spell at Villa last season was cut short, but he returned for the 2018-19 campaign and has been in very impressive form this term.

If things continue as they are then there is no reason why the Englishman cannot form part of Mourinho’s first-team plans for the 2018-19 season.