Axel Tuanzebe’s Man Utd contract is up in the summer (Photo: Getty)
Manchester United offered Leeds the chance to sign Axel Tuanzebe on deadline day but were turned down, according to reports.
Tuanzebe, who hasn’t played for United since 2021, instead joined Stoke City on loan in the final hours of the January transfer window.
The 25-year-old spent last season out on loan at Aston Villa and Napoli but hasn’t featured at all this campaign after suffering a back injury last summer.
Leeds were looking at signing another centre-back as while they had brought in Maximilian Wober from RB Salzburg they had loaned out Diego Llorente to Roma.
The Athletic claim that United offered Tuanzebe to their rivals but Jesse Marsch decided against the signing.
The Red Devils are already well stocked in defence and there was much speculation in January that Erik ten Hag could sell or loan out either Harry Maguire or Victor Lindelof, with Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane firmly first-choice.
But in the end they stayed in what was a relatively quiet window for United who made just three loan signings in all, namely Jack Butland, Wout Weghorst and Marcel Sabitzer.
Jesse Marsch’s Leeds are 15th in the Premier League (Photo: Getty)
Tuanzebe was the only first-team member to get loaned out joining a Stoke side down in 18th in the Championship, seven points clear of the relegation zone but also only 10 off the play-offs.
The Potters were in need of a last-minute replacement for Australian World Cup star Harry Souttar, who joined Leicester on deadline day.
As for United, they are back in action on Wednesday night against Nottingham Forest in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.
After beating Forest 3-0 at the City Ground last week they are expected to cruise to the final at Wembley where they’ll meet Newcastle who advanced after beating Southampton 3-1 on aggregate.
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The 25-year-old has joined Stoke instead.
