Town signed Axel Tuanzebe on a free transfer on 8 September, 2023, with the defender penning a one-year deal.

The Blues won promotion to the Premier League in the defender's first season with the Club, during which he made a total of 22 appearances, becoming a regular starter during the closing weeks of the season. Once promotion was secured, an option was taken on his contract to keep him at Portman Road for the Club's first season of top flight football in 22 years.

Axel left Manchester United in the summer of 2023, having been at Old Trafford since the age of eight and going on to make 37 appearances for the first-team, while also spending time on loan with Aston Villa, Napoli and Stoke City. 

Axel made his senior United debut in January 2017 and went on to feature in the Premier League and Champions League for the club, while also becoming the Red Devils’ youngest captain in more than 30 years, when he wore the armband aged just 21 in an EFL Cup game in 2019. 

The first of three loan spells at Aston Villa followed in the second half of 2017/2018, with the most productive stint at the Midlands club coming in 2018/19, when he made 30 appearances during the club’s promotion from the Championship. Axel also played the full 90 minutes in the Play-Off Final victory over Derby County at Wembley.

Time on loan at both Italian side Napoli and Stoke City in the Championship have added to the defender’s experiences in the game, prior to his move to Portman Road.

Having previously represented England up to U21 level, Axel made his international debut in the summer of 2024, representing DR Congo for the first time in a 1-1 draw with Senegal in Kinshasa.