Town defender Axel Tuanzebe says he trusts the club to begin contract talks in good time this summer with his terms set to expire at the end of the season.

Tuanzebe is one of three Blues players who have entered the final few months of their contracts with Cameron Burgess and Massimo Luongo also available to depart on free transfers if their deals are not renewed.

Burgess has been linked with a move to Spanish side Girona, while Tuanzebe appears likely to have Premier League suitors following a successful albeit stop-start campaign with Town this season.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding his future, Tuanzebe says his experience has helped him understand the situation and is fully focused on the final seven matches of the season.

“You can never say for sure, with contract situations it’s always so flammable,” he said when asked if he sees himself at the Blues beyond the summer.

“My time here thus far has been fantastic, I’ve grown so much as a person and a player under the manager and alongside my peers here, training is relentless. All I look forward to is what is within sight and that’s to the end of the season. I’m just giving my best until then.

“Being a senior player now I’ve not got the urgency or a haste to get it sorted because I know it will be sorted eventually.

“As of now it’s a case of focusing on the games to come, they’re very important games and difficult games. A lot of people have already written us off for the season but really and truly it’s down to us to make a difference.”

The Town defender has started 15 times in the Premier League this season having sat periods of the campaign out through a hand injury and a pair of hamstring issues.

The Blues appear to be heading towards an immediate return to the Championship where there is clearly a significant drop-off in financial power, so Tuanzebe understands why that has been the club’s sole focus.

Asked if there has been internal talk around players’ futures, he said: “No, not really. The club has got bigger things to focus on at the moment. Contractual situations even for myself have been parked to the side and there’s plenty of time in the summer to deal with that.

“Right now, the focus is about maintaining good performances, winning games and hopefully we can stay in the Premier League next season.

“Younger lads could potentially be a bit more haste about it. Uncertainty in your future, I’m sure anybody would feel a little bit tense and nervous about it and want to get things sorted as soon as possible.

“This situation in particular, you have to understand it’s a big financial gain for the club staying in the league so that’s number one priority. It’s been communicated towards everybody and for everyone to remain professional and not take it personally.

“There’s plenty of time in the summer, a few of the senior lads understand this and we’ve portrayed and passed that message out to the younger lads. This club has always been good in sorting things out in good time, I’m sure they’ll do that come the summer.”

Regardless of what happens in the final few weeks of the season, the club will be significantly better off for their Premier League experience off the field with the recent work at Playford Road the cornerstone of the Blues’ development.

Tuanzebe said: “I still think there’s a positive energy, there’s still seven games that we can affect our future and we’re optimistic about that. It’s most definitely going to be difficult games but that’s what the Premier League demands.

“You can see around here, the construction has begun for a new training ground and the club are really taking things seriously on projects for the next couple of years. I think it will be one of the bigger clubs in England in the coming years.

“They really want to invest and push the team to the right direction. That message starts from the owners right through to us players, we’re all on board with it and we’re all heading in the same direction.”

The term ‘fine margins’ has been used on numerous occasions throughout the campaign where several tight matches have swung the way of the opposition as opposed to Town.

Tuanzebe accepted that it is not down to luck, rather an understanding that the level the Blues are operating at is one of an incredibly high standard.

“That’s part and parcel of learning the league,” the 27-year-old said. “The major difference is the level of concentration and physicality later on in the game when everyone’s getting tired.

“The better players can still have that moment of magic and destroy a game at any given opportunity. We’ve learnt that and we need to understand that we’ve got to see a game out right to the final whistle.”

The large majority of Town’s squad have been playing in the top flight for the first time and Tuanzebe was asked whether the group’s younger players will have learned so much from their breakthrough in the division.

As one of the players to have previous Premier League experience, he compared it to his time at Manchester United where he acknowledged the differences in playing for the two clubs.

The DR Congo international said: “Premier League exposure, especially at a newly-promoted team, is much more difficult that from my experience at Manchester United. Teams look at you and think they can collect three points and try and exploit that to the best of their abilities.

“When you play for a bigger club or a more experienced club, teams are a little bit more cautious and sometimes that reflects in their performances. Players can be a little bit more nervous coming into the game and you want that because it invites more mistakes in an individual’s game.

“For us, it’s been very difficult because every team coming into the game are confident because they’re thinking not much of us. In credit to us, a lot of teams most games have said we’re much better than what they thought, or they need to respect us a bit more.

“You can see teams later on in the season have stopped pressing us in first-phase football. We’ve grown into the position and there’s only more to come from us.”
As for the toughest opponent he has faced this season, Tuanzebe paused to consider the players he has had the task of marking.

Luis Diaz, Jeremy Doku and Heung-min Son all fall into that category, but it was the Manchester City man who was the chosen answer.

“Every game has been a pretty difficult game,” Tuanzebe said. “I’d probably say Doku. He’s just electric, the first five yards if you make a mistake he’s gone.

“That’s a game where you have to stay at 100 per cent throughout. If you get tired or you get a little niggle you’ve picked up in the game and you can’t push off as quick, you know you’re in danger with Doku.

“A very physical game and even mentally he’s very smart, you get these players where, no matter what you do, they can adapt to that.

“They’re not actually thinking about what they’re doing, they’re just going to adapt to what you do. That is the very pinnacle level of football and he’s flirting within them margins.”

Photo: TWTD

FrankMarshall added 07:33 - Apr 12 Quality player. Hope he stays at the club.
7

WaltonBlueNaze added 07:57 - Apr 12 Sadly, I think he will end up leaving…such a shame that he hasn’t played more games this season. We have missed his experience and strength down the right side. If he does leave we need to sign a quality RB as Harry Clarke is not the answer (at the moment).
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ArnieM added 08:43 - Apr 12 Sounds like he might stay, to me. I hope so, he's a very good player.
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Tractorboy58 added 09:09 - Apr 12 Whatever happens It is important to remember that this is a club that continues to build with sensible owners and management and fantastic supporters. I have been a season ticket holder for over 30 years and can honestly not remember such a united positive feeling around the club COYB !
4

Cloddyseedbed added 09:25 - Apr 12 One of a few injury prone players who doesn't play enough games.
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cressi added 12:46 - Apr 12 His probably leaving his wife or partner has already moved back up north and Tuanzebe is living in rented accommodation.
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superblues9 added 14:45 - Apr 12 Pity couldn't get him on a pay as you play deal then if is injured not stuck with wages as one of higher earners I bet but sadly doubt he would take that
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Bert added 17:53 - Apr 12 Wise words on a mature head. Not sure there will be any PL clubs focusing on Tuanzabe just yet but I hope he stays.
1

Bazza8564 added 09:39 - Apr 13 Sounds like a good guy, at 27 we should be offering him a long deal to stay here, maybe 4 years. He clearly respects the clubs ambition and he will be key next season as we look to bounce
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