Tuanzebe quit Aston Villa because of Gerrard’s Liverpool-Manchester United rivalry, according to his agency.
The defender’s family and agent believed that the ancient United-Liverpool rivalry may have affected his lack of playing time.
Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe’s representative alleges that Steven Gerrard’s arrival at Aston Villa prompted his client to abandon his loan with the Birmingham club.
Tuanzebe returned to Old Trafford in January and has already agreed to another short-term deal.
The 24-year-old will play for Napoli for the remainder of the season, hoping for more playing time than he had under the ex-Liverpool icon.
What exactly was said?
“Axel is very excited to begin a new chapter in his football career, playing abroad and for a club with so much history behind it and fans who worship football,” the player’s brother and agent, Dimitri Tuanzebe, told ESPN.
“Axel didn’t decide to leave until it was clear that he wasn’t the manager’s first-choice center-back and the Napoli offer was very appealing.”
“I have a lot of mixed feelings about Axel’s tenure at Villa. He is beloved by the supporters for his significant contribution to the club’s success in the Championship, where he was one of the main players in Villa’s return to the Premier League.
“However, with Steven Gerrard’s arrival at Villa Park, it felt as if the rivalry between Manchester United and Liverpool came to life.”
“For the avoidance of doubts, Axel was very open to staying at Villa, he loves the fans, he loves being in Birmingham, but he also has a career that he can only build and reach his full potential in an environment where opportunities to play are fair.”
The overall image
Tuanzebe is a United youth academy graduate, having joined the Red Devils at the age of eight.
He made his first-team debut in January 2017 but has yet to establish himself as a fixture in the United starting lineup, appearing in just 37 games in the five years thereafter.
The former England Under-21 youth international had a stronger loan spell with Villa in 2018-19, which resulted in the Villans’ promotion back to the Premier League.
Tuanzebe’s most recent stay, however, fell short of that success, and after starting the season as a first-team regular, he was limited to only eight minutes of play following Gerrard’s November hiring.
