Napoli have made an enquiry to take Axel Tuanzebe on loan from Manchester United but a deal remains far from being concluded at this stage.

Tuanzebe has not enjoyed the best of seasons so far on loan at Aston Villa, where he has made 11 appearances with the last two coming off the bench as a late substitute.

Villa want to strengthen that area of their squad as they look to improve options for Steven Gerrard so are aware they need an upgrade in that department regardless of whether Tuanzebe is recalled.

Tuanzebe signed a new contract at United, prior to going on loan, with his deal running to 2023 with a further year’s option.

United had been looking for him to gain Premier League experience as staff had high hopes for his development but he has struggled to make an impact.

Villa fended off competition from Newcastle for the 24-year-old and paid a loan fee of around £4m but it has failed to pay off.

United would be willing to listen to offers as they look to streamline their squad and bring in some funds.

A number of players are hoping to leave in January, as reported by Sportsmail, with the likes of Anthony Martial, Donny van de Beek, Dean Henderson and Phil Jones all considering their options.

Napoli are weighing up a number of targets for centre back and are interested in a loan with option for Tuanzebe, who United had valued at around £25m.

Meanwhile, United are not pursuing a move for River Plate forward Julian Alvarez.

Despite reports from South America stating United are closing in on the 21-year-old’s signature, the club have not held serious discussions over a move for the Argentina international.