Manchester United defender off to Aston Villa?

Aston Villa have been provided encouragement in signing Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe this summer.

The centre-back made 19 appearances for the Red Devils last term, but only four of those were starts in the league.

He is currently regarded as the fourth-choice centre-back behind Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly.

United are desperate to sign Raphael Varane from Real Madrid. His arrival would drop Tuanzebe further down the pecking order.

According to Football Insider, the Villans want to land the signature of 23-year-old, who previously spent 18 months with them on loan.

Tuanzebe played a key role in their promotion in 2018/19, and it is claimed that Dean Smith wants him to provide competition for places.

Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa are undisputed starters at the moment, but Smith is eyeing a solid competitor on the bench.

It has been reported that Tuanzebe could be available on loan. Villa could propose a temporary deal with the option to buy.