Axel Tuanzebe cut his loan spell short at Aston Villa and was immediately loaned out to Napoli. The 24-year-old struggled for playing time in his third loan spell at Villa Park, so his exit wasn’t a surprise, but fans on social media believe his performances were to blame for the treatment.
Tuanzebe made 11 appearances in all competitions for Villa this season, amassing 685 minutes of playing time. He found himself behind Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa in the pecking order, so he had little choice but to move on for more opportunities.
Whether he’ll feature more heavily at Napoli remains to be seen, however, but the chance to play under Luciano Spalletti proved too good to turn down. Gregg Evans of The Athletic revealed the Napoli manager told Tuanzebe of his plans this season, so perhaps there might be minutes coming his way.
Tuanzebe’s third stint at Villa Park is likely to be his last, but the Midlands outfit did try to sign him permanently – Villa wanted a buying option attached to the loan deal but Manchester United rejected it. Fans should wish him well, as he filled a void in the Championship but just couldn’t make the step up.
