LEEDS reportedly rejected the chance to take Manchester United’s Axel Tuanzebe on a deadline day loan.
The forgotten Red Devils defender, 25, was eventually sent out on loan to Stoke City.
The deal was confirmed early on Tuesday, just hours after the transfer window in England shut, as he prepares to spend the rest of the campaign in the Championship.
The Potters were looking for a replacement for Australian World Cup star Harry Souttar after he moved to Leicester yesterday.
However, Leeds were also looking at bringing in another centre-back to help bolster their Premier League survival hopes.
They did sign Maximilian Wober from RB Salzburg but also allowed Diego Llorente to join Roma until the season’s end.
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Now The Athletic are claiming that United offered Tuanzebe to Leeds – but Jesse Marsch decided against signing him.
Tuanzebe is now desperate to get some vital minutes under his belt after failing to make a single appearance for United this term.
He was hoping to be part of Erik ten Hag’s plans after working on his fitness but was then forced to pull out of United’s pre-season tour with a “personal issue.”
Reports last month then claimed that the Red Devils were ready to call time on his Old Trafford career.
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The last of Tuanzebe’s 37 senior appearances for United came in the 2020/21 campaign.
Last season he spent time at Aston Villa and Napoli, where he failed to impress at either, but he will be hoping to slot straight in at Stoke, who are 18th in the Championship under Alex Neil.
And Tuanzebe may even make his debut in Saturday’s trip to Luton Town.
The former England U21 international was the only outgoing from United on deadline day.
But Ten Hag did manage to make one late signing in Bayern Munich midfielder Marcel Sabitzer, who joined on a five-month loan.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
