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Full Name |
Axel Tuanzebe |
|
Date of Birth |
14 November 1997 |
|
Age (2026) |
28 years old |
|
Place of Birth |
Bunia, Democratic Republic of the Congo |
|
Nationality |
Congolese / British |
|
Height |
1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) |
|
Weight |
Around 75 kg |
|
Position |
Centre-back (also right-back, holding midfielder) |
|
Preferred Foot |
Right |
|
Current Club |
Burnley FC |
|
Shirt Number |
5 |
|
National Team |
DR Congo |
|
Wife |
Deusa Tuanzebe |
|
Brother |
Dimitri Tuanzebe (former Clitheroe striker) |
|
Estimated Net Worth (2026) |
$18 million to $23 million |
|
Weekly Wage (Burnley) |
Around £45,000 |
|
Estimated Transfer Value |
€3.5M to €5.2M |
Axel Tuanzebe Parents and Early Life
Axel was born on November 14, 1997, in Bunia, a town in the Ituri Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. His family moved abroad in 2002, when he was about four years old, to Rochdale in Greater Manchester. The DRC was in serious turmoil at the time and the Tuanzebes decided to move to England for a safer and more stable life for their children, just like many families from the region.
He hasn’t said much publicly about his parents and that’s something that he’s kept personal from day one. What we do know is they backed his football dreams from the start. He has two brother and sister. His older brother Dimitri Tuanzebe also played football, including a spell as a striker at Clitheroe, and his sister Nadege has carved out her own fashion path. The family bond is clearly tight, though most of it stays off-camera from Axel.
He went to St Cuthbert's RC High School in Rochdale, where he captained the Year 7 team to the 2009 English National Schools Cup final at Stamford Bridge. In the same year, he was awarded Sports Boy of the Year by the Mayor of Rochdale. He wasn’t just a footballer either, he ran cross-country and triple jumped as well.
Axel Tuanzebe Net Worth and Salary in 2026
This is the question we get asked the most so lets get clear with the numbers. Axel Tuanzebe’s net worth is predicted to be between $18 million and $23 million in 2026, according to Icon Polls. The figure is made up from his Manchester United years where reports said he was earning up to £50,000 a week at his peak, his loan stints, his move to Ipswich Town and his current deal at Burnley.
He is said to be on a weekly wage of about £45,000 at Burnley - which works out at around £2.34 million a year before bonuses. Then add in his sponsorship deals, including reported deals with Adidas and Penn Commercial and you can see how his career earnings are comfortably sitting in the 8 figure range. He is also pursuing a legal claim against Manchester United for alleged negligent medical advice, which is said to be worth more than £1m and could push the figure even higher depending on the outcome.
It should be said that Axel is not the show off type with his money. There are no flashy supercars on his social feed, no over the top mansions on display. He lives quietly, concentrating on his football and being with his family.
Axel Tuanzebe Wife and Personal Life
Axel is married and his wife’s name is Deusa. The couple married in a private ceremony, and Axel chose not to make a spectacle of it in the media. They have been a couple for a few years now and accounts of their wedding day tell of a beautiful first dance, surrounded by close family and friends.
There are no reports of children as of the time of writing. Axel keeps his romantic life and home life almost entirely off of social media, and that has been a choice. In interviews he once said football is his job and his family is his peace, and you can tell he means that.
Axel Tuanzebe Age, Height, and Position
Axel will be 28 in November 2025 so he is in his prime defender years for the 2025/26 season. Centre-backs typically peak between the ages of 27 and 32, so this is the stage of his career when his reading of the game and his physical strength should come together.
He is 1.85 metres (6 ft 1 in) tall and weighs approximately 75 kilograms. His preferred position is centre-back but he can play right-back and has even played as a holding midfielder when needed. That kind of versatility is part of the reason clubs keep wanting him, even after the injury setbacks.
Axel Tuanzebe Stats and Career Highlights
Axel's career stats speak of a defender who has played at every level of English football. He won the FA Cup, EFL Cup, Europa League and Community Shield during his time at Manchester United as a young pro, but was a squad player rather than a regular starter in those successes.
He has posted some solid numbers in the 2025/26Premier League season with Burnley. He has played around 932 minutes, scored 1 goal ( his first Premier League goal, in a memorable 2-2 draw against Tottenham on January 24, 2026), received 1 yellow card and averaged around 6.35 match ratings over the course of the campaign. He has featured most often at centre-back in Scott Parker's system.
He switched internationally from England youth teams to the senior DR Congo side in 2024. The headline moment came on 31 March 2026 when he scored the only goal in a 1-0 extra-time win over Jamaica in the World Cup qualification inter-confederation play-offs. That goal took DR Congo to their first World Cup since 1974 and it is the kind of achievement that transcends statistics.
His career has seen spells at Manchester United, Aston Villa (three loan spells), Napoli, Stoke City, Ipswich Town and now Burnley. He helped Aston Villa gain promotion to the Premier League in 2019 and Ipswich do the same in 2024.
Axel Tuanzebe Injury History
To understand Axel’s career, you need to understand his injury record. There were few young defenders with such promise and such bad luck at the same time.
It all began when he went down in the warm up just before the North West Derby for Manchester United in October 2019 with a hip problem. Then a hamstring problem in December that year ended his season. He returned in October 2020 and delivered a brilliant shift against PSG in the Champions League, with his shutdown of Kylian Mbappe coming up as one of the standout defensive performances by a young United player that season.
And then there were more setbacks. He suffered a back injury at Napoli in 2022, then more problems in pre-season at United. He also left Stoke City early through injury. One of the more talked about freak incidents in football was when he cut his thumb washing dishes and needed surgery to save it in October 2024, a strange twist.
More recently he had an Achilles problem in early 2026 but was back in time to play 120 minutes for DR Congo against Jamaica and score the qualifying goal. Just that return shows how much better shape he's in. Icon Polls data suggests his availability has increased significantly since joining Burnley, which will be a positive sign for teams that could look to sign him in the next transfer window.
Axel Tuanzebe Transfer Value in 2026
As of early 2026, Axel's market value is estimated between €3.5 million and €5.2 million, with most football data sources putting his exact figure around €4.3 million. He joined Burnley on a free transfer in June 2025 after Ipswich were relegated, so for any club that wanted him then, the cost was just his wages.
His current Burnley contract reportedly runs until June 2026, which means by the time you read this his future could already be a hot topic. If he stays fit and finishes the season strong, especially with a World Cup appearance for DR Congo on the cards, his value could jump again. Defenders with Premier League experience, leadership ability, and international tournament minutes do not stay cheap for long.
Icon Polls findings suggest that mid-table Premier League clubs and clubs in Italy and Saudi Arabia are the most likely destinations if he becomes a free agent again, although nothing has been confirmed publicly.
Career Journey: From Old Trafford to Turf Moor
Axel signed up to the Manchester United academy at the age of eight. By 2014 he was lifting the Milk Cup as captain of the youth team. He won the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year in 2015, and his first team debut came in January 2017 in an FA Cup tie against Wigan.
He had three loan spells at Aston Villa, including the 2018/19 promotion campaign that took Villa back to the Premier League. He then had a short loan at Napoli in early 2022, where he became one of very few English-trained players to play in Serie A in recent years. A spell at Stoke followed, but injuries kept eating into his minutes.
In summer 2023 he was released by Manchester United and joined Ipswich Town, who were a Championship side at the time. He played a major part in their promotion back to the Premier League after a 22 year absence. When Ipswich went straight back down in 2024/25, Burnley swooped in for him on a free, and that brings us to the player you see today.
Frequently Asked Questions about Axel Tuanzebe
1. Who is Axel Tuanzebe?
Axel Tuanzebe is a Congolese professional footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League club Burnley and the DR Congo national team. He came through the Manchester United youth academy.
2. How old is Axel Tuanzebe in 2026?
Axel Tuanzebe is 28 years old in 2026. He was born on 14 November 1997.
3. What is Axel Tuanzebe's net worth in 2026?
Icon Polls estimates that Axel Tuanzebe's net worth in 2026 is between $18 million and $23 million, built from his career earnings, sponsorships, and investments.
4. What is Axel Tuanzebe's salary at Burnley?
He is reported to earn around £45,000 per week at Burnley, which adds up to roughly £2.34 million a year before bonuses.
5. Who is Axel Tuanzebe's wife?
Axel Tuanzebe is married to Deusa Tuanzebe. The couple keeps their relationship out of the spotlight and married in a private ceremony.
6. Does Axel Tuanzebe have children?
There are no public reports of Axel Tuanzebe having children as of 2026.
7. Who are Axel Tuanzebe's parents?
Axel Tuanzebe's parents are Congolese and moved the family from the DRC to England in 2002. He has not shared their names publicly and prefers to keep his family private.
8. Where was Axel Tuanzebe born?
He was born in Bunia, in the Ituri Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on 14 November 1997.
9. Does Axel Tuanzebe have any siblings?
Yes. He has an older brother, Dimitri Tuanzebe, who is a former Clitheroe striker, and a sister named Nadege, who works in fashion.
10. What position does Axel Tuanzebe play?
His main position is centre-back. He can also play as a right-back and has been used as a holding midfielder.
11. How tall is Axel Tuanzebe?
Axel Tuanzebe is 1.85 metres tall, which is about 6 feet 1 inch. He weighs around 75 kilograms.
12. Why did Axel Tuanzebe leave Manchester United?
He was released by Manchester United at the end of the 2022/23 season after a long run of injuries kept him out of the first team plans.
13. What is Axel Tuanzebe's transfer value in 2026?
His estimated transfer value sits between €3.5 million and €5.2 million, with most data sources putting it around €4.3 million.
14. Did Axel Tuanzebe play in a World Cup?
He helped DR Congo qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup by scoring the winning goal against Jamaica in the inter-confederation play-off, securing the country's first World Cup appearance since 1974.
15. Why does Axel Tuanzebe play for DR Congo and not England?
He represented England at U19, U20, and U21 levels but chose to play senior international football for DR Congo, the country of his birth. He made his senior DR Congo debut in June 2024.
16. What injuries has Axel Tuanzebe had?
He has dealt with hip, hamstring, ankle, back, and Achilles issues over the years. He also famously had surgery in October 2024 after cutting his thumb while washing dishes.
17. Has Axel Tuanzebe scored in the Premier League?
Yes. He scored his first Premier League goal in a 2-2 draw between Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur on 24 January 2026.
18. What trophies has Axel Tuanzebe won?
During his Manchester United days he was part of squads that won the FA Cup, the EFL Cup, the Europa League, and the Community Shield. He also helped Aston Villa earn promotion in 2019 and Ipswich Town earn promotion in 2024.
19. Is Axel Tuanzebe suing Manchester United?
Yes. In July 2025 he filed a legal claim against Manchester United for alleged negligent medical advice, with reports valuing the case at over £1 million.
20. What is Axel Tuanzebe's shirt number at Burnley?
He wears the number 5 shirt at Burnley FC.
21. What languages does Axel Tuanzebe speak?
He speaks English fluently, having grown up in Rochdale, and is connected to French and Lingala through his Congolese heritage.
22. What is Axel Tuanzebe's preferred foot?
He is right-footed.
23. Has Axel Tuanzebe played in Serie A?
Yes. He spent the second half of the 2021/22 season on loan at Napoli, making him one of the few English-developed defenders to feature in Serie A in recent years.
24. What endorsements does Axel Tuanzebe have?
Axel has been linked with brand deals including Adidas and Penn Commercial, although he keeps most of his commercial work low-profile.
