Aston Villa have reportedly been handed a boost in their continued pursuit of Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe.
The Villans are said to be at the front of the queue for the 23-year-old's signature after recently declaring their interest.
If completed, the rumoured transfer of Real Madrid centre-back Raphael Varane to the Red Devils would see Tuanzebe slip further down the pecking order at Old Trafford, potentially seeing the club let him depart this summer with Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly also battling for spots in the squad.
According to Football Insider, the Midlands club are reportedly in pole position to capture the young defender, who spent two separate loan spells at Villa Park between 2018 and 2019.
While his first stint was cut short by injury, Tuanzebe was a regular starter in the Aston Villa side that won promotion back to the Premier League in the 2018-19 campaign, playing the full game as they defeated Derby County in the playoff final at Wembley.
With Aston Villa reportedly in the market for another defender and Manchester United potentially willing to offload the 23-year-old, Tuanzebe could be set to reunite with Dean Smith in the Midlands.
Sam Varley
