Aston Villa defender Axel Tuanzebe looks set to cut his loan from Manchester United short to join Napoli, Fabrizio Romano reports.

The Lowdown: Tuanzebe's struggles

Tuanzebe made the move to Villa Park in the summer when Dean Smith was in charge, penning a season-long loan deal.

However, things haven’t exactly worked out for the 24-year-old back in the Midlands. Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings have been first choice under Smith and Steven Gerrard, limiting Tuanzebe to just six Premier League starts.

It now seems as if he will be recalled by the Red Devils, with another loan already lined up.

The Latest: Romano’s tweet

Romano took to Twitter late on Thursday evening to reveal the defender has now completed a medical with Napoli.

An official announcement is expected ‘in the next few days’ over another loan for Tuanzebe, in what will be his first move abroad.

The Verdict: Villa to act?

Villa confirmed a loan move for Philippe Coutinho on Friday morning, so their attention may now turn to replacing Tuanzebe with a centre-back signing.

Gerrard is thought to be after a centre-back and a defensive midfielder this month, so he may now prioritise the former of the two with Tuanzebe’s departure all but confirmed.

Villa will have only Konsa, Mings and Kortney Hause as senior options, so the quicker they can get one in, the better.

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