Harry Maguire Laments Loss of Another Dressing Room Leader at Man Utd on Deadline Day
Harry Maguire believes that Manchester United lost another “leader” in the dressing room on transfer deadline day. Manchester United completed the signing of Marcel Sabitzer in the last minutes of the January transfer window, with a departure being finalized even later.
In addition to Marcel Sabitzer’s transfer from Bayern Munich to Manchester United, another deal was completed in the dying moments of the transfer window.
As Sabitzer arrived in from Germany to sign on loan for the duration of the season, all eyes were understandably on him. However, Stoke City had a similar sprint against the clock to complete a transfer for Axel Tuanzebe.
The transfer of Sabitzer was one of the latest, with confirmation coming 70 minutes after the 11 p.m. deadline. Tuanzebe’s loan move was not disclosed for an additional half-hour, requiring Potters supporters to stay up even later.
The 25-year-old will make the short journey down the M6 for the remainder of the season, where he will attempt to help Alex Neil’s side return to the Championship play-off picture. His interim deal at the bet365 Stadium effectively implies he will leave Old Trafford in the summer.
Trending
- Kenya Pipeline Volleyball Team Set for Title Defense in Uganda
- Martha Karua’s NARC-Kenya rebrands to People’s Liberation Party
- Bobi Wine’s Party Reports Police Raid, Claims Spy Devices Installed
- Gachagua: Ruto is in a Gold Business With RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo
- Khalwale Bows to Pressure, Moves to Withdraw Motorcycle Bill
Tuanzebe, a graduate of the club’s academy, is set to become a free agent at the conclusion of the current season, and there are no indications that his contract will be renewed. Therefore, the central defender will use his time in the second division to prove to potential suitors that he is still the same player he was when he was projected as a future United star.
Tuanzebe won United’s famous Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award in 2015, joining the ranks of Marcus Rashford, Danny Welbeck, and Ryan Giggs, among others.
Harry Maguire joined United four years after Tuanzebe won the award and was immediately named captain. This choice has been heavily scrutinized in recent months, with stories indicating that many believed Cristiano Ronaldo should have succeeded him.
Ronaldo’s departure has ended this particular argument, and Maguire’s prior remarks regarding Tuanzebe signal that Erik ten Hag’s squad may have lost another significant leader behind the scenes.
“We have a lot of leaders in the dressing room, a lot of senior pros,” he said in 2021. “And you don’t have to be a senior pro to be a leader. Axel is a leader, in the ways that he works and speaks in the dressing room.
“And he’s only a young boy, he’s still learning his trade. I’m sure he’ll go on to have an unbelievable career.”
This opinion was supported by former United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who made him the club’s youngest captain in a Carabao Cup match in 2019.
“Axel is a captain in the making, he’s a leader. Why not give it to young kids?” Solskjaer asked talkSPORT of the United captaincy. “How does he handle it? He was absolutely fine, he enjoyed it. It’s just a way of telling him that we trust him.”
After Tuanzebe’s outstanding performance against Paris Saint-Germain in October 2020, he added: “I am happy for him. Now, it’s a matter of achieving consistency in his play, and he must avoid injury, but I believe he can continue to improve as a leader.
“He can play right-back, centre-back, midfield. He’s a boy who takes responsibility for his own development and he’s doing everything he can to have a long career at United and get that consistency.”
Tuanzebe’s development at United has now been hampered by injuries, with Erik ten Hag failing to call upon him once since his appointment last summer. His last outing for his parent club was in the 2021 Europa League championship game.
Tuanzebe’s previous appearance, period, was more than a year ago, and he now hopes to gain regular playing time in the level he won promotion from with Aston Villa in 2019.
