Ipswich Town: Trabzonspor reportedly pull out of Axel Tuanzebe deal
Turkish side Trabzonspor have reportedly pulled out of a deal to sign Ipswich Town defender Axel Tuanzebe on a free transfer.
The 27-year-old is out of contract this summer, meaning that he can leave Portman Road for free. As a result, there are clubs keen on signing him this summer, with Trabzonspor heavily linked.
Their president, Ertuğrul Doğan, even went on the record to say that Tuanzebe was a player that his club wanted to sign, with manager Fatih Tekke looking to play him as a centre-back.
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Now, Turkish outlet 61saat have claimed that Trabzonspor are no longer interested in pursuing a deal for two reasons.
The first is Tuanzebe’s injury record. In two seasons with Ipswich, he played 44 games in all competitions. In 2024/25, he had a few different spells on the sidelines with hamstring issues, as well as the cut thumb that ruled him out in November.
The second is that, although Trabzonspor gave him time to make a decision, he apparently continued to stall on a final verdict, frustrating the Super Lig side.
Trabzonspor are now expected to sign Estoril’s 22-year-old centre-back Wagner Pina instead of Tuanzebe.
The R’s, who finished 15th in the second tier last season, placed Marti Cifuentes on gardening leave after it was reported that his representatives had been in contact with West Brom regarding their vacancy.
It’s believed that he was not even on the Baggies’ final shortlist, with Ryan Mason appointed instead.
Following that situation, QPR announced their decision to part company with the Spaniard last night before confirming Julian Stephan as their new manager.
The 44-year-old has only ever worked in France, with previous spells at Rennes and Strasbourg. He helped the former qualify for the Champions League while guiding the latter to their highest league finish since 1980.
At Rennes, he also won the 2018/19 Coupe de France, beating PSG on penalties as they won the cup for the first time since 1971.
“I feel very proud and excited to join QPR,” Stephan said.
“QPR is a historic club with strong values and passionate fans, so I feel honoured.
“I wanted to come here because I know there’s a lot of passion around the club and around the team, and I feel very lucky to discover that.
“There is something unique about English football. The intensity, the atmosphere, the passion of the fans also, the tempo of the game, the culture around the club all make it a very stimulating environment for a coach.”
QPR are yet to do any summer transfer business, although they have sorted new deals for Steve Cook, Sam Field and Jimmy Dunne, with recent reports claiming that they have hijacked Rangers’ move for Ipswich-linked Kwame Poku.
