Aston Villa will not be able to secure an immediate deal for Axel Tuanzebe as Manchester United look to give the centre-back a chance to earn a place in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's squad.

The 21-year-old played a crucial part for Villa as they won promotion back to the Premier League and his recent partnership with Tyrone Mings looked particularly impressive.

Tuanzebe played 28 times for Villa, including all three play-off games.

Therefore, Dean Smith would love to bring him back to the club for next season as they prepare for life in the top-flight.

However, the Mirror have revealed that United have told Villa there's no chance of doing a permanent deal and that they will be using all of pre-season to assess their player.

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That will give the youngster a chance to earn a place in the Red Devils squad moving forward.

Of course, that doesn't mean a loan move couldn't happen towards the end of the window but it could force Villa to look elsewhere as they may not want to wait for such a crucial position.

The Verdict

This is understandable as Tuanzebe had a very good season for Villa and United have every right to look at their player in pre-season.

In truth, it's a fantastic opportunity for the defender as well and he will hope to take this chance to earn a place in Solskjaer's squad.

Villa can't really wait to see if he doesn't make it at Old Trafford, so they will have to move on to other defensive targets now as it's an area that needs strengthening.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.