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Former Manchester United star suing the club for £1m

Manchester United stadium Old Trafford during the FA Barclaycard Premiership match on October 26, 2002 between Manchester United and Aston Villa at Old Trafford in Manchester.
Old Trafford (Image credit: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Axel Tuanzebe’s Manchester United career never truly got going.

The defender made his debut for Manchester United in January 2017, aged 19, in a 4-0 FA Cup win over Wigan, but went on to feature just 37 times in all competitions until his permanent departure in 2023.

Axel Tuanzebe is filing a lawsuit against Manchester United

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But the now 27-year-old has not quite put his frustrating spell at United behind him.

Instead, he is reportedly seeking £1 million in damages from the Red Devils after alleging that his career was harmed by medical negligence.

Axel Tuanzebe, Manchester United

Axel Tuanzebe left Manchester United but is still playing in the Premier League (Image credit: Getty Images)

It was revealed in July that Tuanzebe was filing a lawsuit against his former club, and further details of the case have now emerged.

The lawsuit has now been lodged at the High Court in London, and Tuanzebe "expects to recover damages in excess of £1,000,000".

The case claims Tuanzebe was improperly treated for stress fractures of the spine.

The lawsuit reads: "Appropriate treatment plans would, on the balance of probabilities, have resulted in the claimant avoiding the pain and discomfort set out below and would have resulted in him being able to play professional football at elite level without restriction or impediment.

“As it is, although he continues to play at an elite level, this has impacted his career and earnings.

Axel Tuanzebe of Ipswich Town

Axel Tuanzebe was at Ipswich before heading to Burnley (Image credit: Getty Images)

"It is the claimant's case that the defendant [United] negligently failed to properly investigate the claimant's pars fractures, failed to rest the claimant and failed to refer him to a specialist sports spinal surgeon.

"As a result, the claimant's symptoms significantly progressed to bilateral grade 4 fractures, and he developed a left-sided chronic spinal fracture. Had the claimant been appropriately rested, his left-sided pars fracture would not have developed into a chronic condition and the right-sided fracture would have been avoided altogether."

Tuanzebe has made five Premier League appearances for Burnley since joining the club in the summer on a free transfer.

Callum is a football writer who has had work published by the likes of BBC Sport, the Independent, BT Sport and the Blizzard, amongst various others. A lifelong Wrexham fan, he is hoping Ryan Reynolds can lead his hometown club to the promised land.

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