Axel Tuanzebe (born 14 November 1997) is a Congolese professional footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League club Ipswich Town and the DR Congo national team.

[6] Academy coach Paul McGuinness noted that Tuanzebe was likely the first first-year scholar to captain the under-18 side since Gary Neville.

[7] On 31 October 2015, at the age of 17, Tuanzebe was named on the substitutes bench for a match against Crystal Palace in the Premier League, the first time he had been a member of a first-team matchday squad.

[8][9] On 29 January 2017, Tuanzebe made his Manchester United debut as a 68th-minute substitute, replacing Timothy Fosu-Mensah during a 4–0 FA Cup victory over Wigan Athletic at Old Trafford.

[13] Tuanzebe made his first start of the season against Swansea City in the EFL Cup on 24 October 2017, playing a key part in the second goal of the 2–0 victory.

[16] However, due to injury problems and the form of preferred centre-backs James Chester and John Terry he was only able to make five appearances before returning to Manchester United.

[22] He made his return in December's EFL Cup victory over Colchester United, but suffered a hamstring injury during the game ruling him out for the remainder of the season.

After a couple of displays for Manchester United in pre season friendlies, including a 4–2 away defeat at Queens Park Rangers, on 8 August 2021, Tuanzebe signed a new two-year contract with Manchester United, with the option of an extra year; that day, he also agreed to rejoin Aston Villa on loan for the 2021–22 season, his third loan spell with the club.

[37] In October 2024 he suffered an unusual injury when he cut his thumb while washing dishes, requiring surgery in order to save it.

[45] Tuanzebe made his debut for the DR Congo national team on 6 June 2024 in a World Cup qualifier against Senegal at the Diamniadio Olympic Stadium.

[47][48] His playing style has been compared to that of his former Manchester United teammate Eric Bailly and former Spain international Javi Martínez.

[49] Tuanzebe's performance on his first-team debut in a friendly against Wigan Athletic in July 2016 led manager José Mourinho to remark, "10 minutes is enough!