Stoke City must turn to Man Utd this summer, this transfer looks like a no-brainer: Opinion | OneFootball

Latics striker Will Keane got the only goal of the game, which came in the 54th minute after the striker finished on the turn from a Max Power cross. This was Keane’s 11th goal of the campaign, and the victory last night postponed the Lancashire side’s relegation to League One.

For Stoke, that is now three defeats in their last five league games, and furthermore, Alex Neil’s men are without a win in their last three games.

The defeat has seen Stoke drop to 17th place on 52 points, and they will be looking to get back on track this weekend as they travel to face Cardiff City.

How is Axel Tuanzebe getting on at Stoke City?

One player who has been part of this Stoke side this season is Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe.

The 25-year-old joined the Potters in January on a season-long loan deal after being injured in the first half of the campaign and failing to appear for his parent club.

This is the defender’s fifth loan spell of his career, with three of them coming at Premier League side Aston Villa between 2018 and 2021.

Tuanzebe joined Serie A side Napoli last season, and there was potential for him to be signed permanently depending on how the loan went. However, he only appeared two times in his six months at the club, and he returned to Manchester United at the end of the season.

Now, nearly a year later, Tuanzebe finds himself on loan again, but this time at a Championship club. The defender has shown before at this level he can be one of the best centre-backs in the league; he just needs to stay injury-free.

The 25-year-old has made five appearances for the Potters since joining the club. A back injury has seen him miss a host of matches in recent months, and he hadn’t started a league game since November 2021.

Tuanzebe struggled to get into the Stoke team when he first arrived, with Neil going with players that he already had at the club, but since getting into the team he has made four starts and an appearance off the bench; unfortunately, that has stuttered as of late, as Tuanzebe has been missing in recent matchday squads.

What did Ben Wilmot say about Tuanzebe joining Stoke City?

Fellow Stoke defender Ben Wilmot praised Tuanzebe last month, labelling the Manchester United defender as giving the team “more security”.

Wilmot believed that Tuanzebe had relieved the pressure after injuries were mounting up in Stoke’s defence.

He told Manchester Evening News: “He’s been really good, settled in really quickly, and it’s given us lads a bit more security in terms of numbers at the back, where were light.

“We always felt we were one or two injuries away from being really short. It’s relieved the pressure a little bit and allowed us to rotate. Axel has come in and played well. I enjoy playing with him.

"We have conceded a few disappointing goals this season, especially early on in games, which has made it harder for ourselves, but I think on the whole we’ve been pretty good in terms of the number of goals we’ve conceded.

"The last handful of games it’s felt very solid. We’ve felt in the game, and then we can give it to the lads up front to go and make something happen for us. That’s good."

Should Tuanzebe join Stoke City on permanent basis?

The 25-year-old is out of contract at Manchester United this summer, and with his recent record at United and the fact he was sent out on loan in January, it suggests that his time at Old Trafford may be about to come to an end.

Therefore, it is likely that Tuanzebe is going to be searching for a new club this summer, and Stoke should be interested in signing the defender on a permanent basis.

Yes, he hasn’t played loads of games since joining Stoke, but throughout his time at Old Trafford and on loan at Villa, he has shown what he is capable of and proven that at this level he can be one of the best.

It was reported towards the back end of March that Stoke are weighing up a permanent move for Tuanzebe at the end of the season.

Of course, new terms would have to be agreed upon with the player, but considering he would be a free agent and has been at the club for six months, it seems like a no-brainer for Neil to want to bring Tuanzebe in permanently.

The defender needs a run of games where he can get back to full fitness and enjoy his football once again. If he can do that at Stoke, he would be a big signing for the Potters and, as Wilmot said, would bring security to a backline that has leaked 54 goals this season so far.

Tuanzebe needs to find a football home, and playing in the Championship with Stoke next season may just be that for the defender.