Axel Tuanzebe joins Ipswich Town after Manchester United departure

Ipswich Town have announced that Axel Tuanzebe has signed a one-year contract with the club, with the option of a further 12 months, following his release from Manchester United.

The 25-year-old came through the youth system at Old Trafford and went on to represent the Red Devils on 37 occasions in all competitions, with his most productive campaign coming in 2020-21, when he made 19 appearances for the 20-time English champions.

Tuanzebe has recently spent time on loan with Aston Villa, Napoli and Stoke City, and he left Man United at the end of June when his contract came to an end.

The defender has been training with Ipswich over the last week and has now earned himself an initial one-year contract with the Championship club.

"It feels great to finally get the deal over the line," Tuanzebe told TownTV. "I had conversations with the manager earlier in the summer, having worked with him previously, and it's great to have a familiar face.

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"Knowing the calibre of coach he is, it was a good decision to come here because I know the standards he has and how thorough he is.

"The stadium, pitch and training ground are top notch and the group is humble, willing to work and everyone wants to take the club into a better position. I am delighted to be here and can't wait to get started."

Meanwhile, Ipswich head coach Kieran McKenna said: "We're really pleased to have Axel at the football club. He's a defender with a lot of experience and pedigree at a young age and a lot of qualities as a player and as a person.

"He's fast, strong in one-on-one situations, is a good communicator and carries the ball well. We think he will bring a lot to the team and to the club.

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"He has trained well with the group over the last week and will continue to do so. We want to build him up in a sensible way and get him back to his best condition. If we do that we feel we could have a very valuable asset for the team.

"We have enjoyed working with him this week and he's enjoyed being with us and being part of the environment, getting to know the culture and how we play.

"Now we're looking forward to getting more work in on the training pitch and integrating him into the team."

Tuanzebe, who will wear the number 40 shirt for his new club, has become Ipswich's seventh signing of the summer market and was allowed to join outside of the window due to his status as a free agent.

Town have picked up 12 points from their opening five matches of the new Championship season, which has left them in second position in the table.