MANCHESTER United faces a High Court battle with former defender Axel Tuanzebe, who is suing the club for more than £1 million over alleged medical negligence that he claims has left him unable to play professional football without restriction.
Court documents obtained by Sky Sports reveal the 27-year-old DR Congo international alleges the Premier League club failed to appropriately treat a spinal stress fracture that has plagued his career since 2020, ultimately derailing his promising trajectory at one of football’s most storied institutions.
The legal claim, first filed in July 2023 when Tuanzebe departed Old Trafford, centres on allegations that United’s medical staff provided inadequate treatment for a left-sided pars fracture — a stress fracture in the lower spine — initially suffered in January 2020.
According to the court filing, the injury became chronic in July 2022 when Tuanzebe sustained the same fracture on the right side of his spine. The defender claims he has endured “significant pain and discomfort” due to the injury’s development and deterioration, which he attributes to the club’s alleged clinical negligence.
Tuanzebe, who joined United’s academy at age eight and won the prestigious Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award in 2015, made his senior debut in January 2017. Despite delivering standout performances — including an impressive display against Paris Saint-Germain — persistent injuries prevented him from establishing himself in the first team, limiting him to just 37 senior appearances across six years.
The Congolese defender now plays for Championship side Burnley, joining the Lancashire club on a free transfer this summer. His legal team argues that United’s alleged mishandling of his spinal injuries has permanently impacted his ability to perform at the highest level, resulting in diminished career prospects and earning potential.
Both Tuanzebe’s lawyers and Manchester United have declined to comment on the ongoing legal proceedings.
The case represents a rare public dispute between a former academy graduate and the club that developed him, raising questions about duty of care and medical protocols at elite football institutions.
