Ipswich Town will look to get rid of this high-earner, who earns more than Leif Davis.
Even if Ipswich Town’s recent poor form has cost them a place in the Championship top two to rivals Leeds United, Kieran McKenna will be satisfied with the overall performance of his Tractor Boys players this season.
It has been set to one side that the Suffolk-based team only gained promotion to the league this season, punching above their weight against the likes of Leeds and Leicester City, who are more accustomed to the luxury of Premier League football than playing in the second tier.
Still, McKenna will soon have to review his promotion-chasing squad and decide who he can transfer in the future, taking into account those who aren’t doing well.
Axel Tuanzebe’s name may come up in that discussion, since the ex-Manchester United defender earns significantly more than his current performance in the Championship.
Axel Tuanzebe’s wage at Ipswich Town
Since signing as a free agent last summer, the former Red Devil has made only eleven league games for the Tractor Boys, fading into the background at Portman Road and being benched against Cardiff last time out.
Tuanzebe had recently come into the side at right-back and underwhelmed, with the Ipswich number 40 squandering possession 15 times in total at home to Bristol City earlier this month, raising questions about whether McKenna will keep Tuanzebe in Suffolk beyond his short-term 12-month contract.
Tuanzebe’s rich wage will also upset those at Ipswich, despite his dismal performances on the pitch, as the 6 foot 1 defender earns an exorbitant £20,000 per week, making him the highest-paid player at the Championship club who isn’t on loan.
That means the Ipswich number 40 makes more than Leif Davis, despite the fact that the former Leeds player continues to shine for the Tractor Boys as a creative force at left-back.
In the same game where Tuanzebe appeared uneasy with the ball at his feet and hesitant against the Robins, Davis delivered another crucial moment of magic to help his promotion-chasing team score a late winner.
Axel Tuanzebe’s wage compared to the Ipswich squad
Tuanzebe is the biggest earner when you eliminate Brandon Williams and Jeremy Sarmiento, who are only on loan from Manchester United and Brighton, earning £65k and £20k per week, respectively.
Even when Kieffer Moore’s wage is taken into account – as the former Cardiff City striker has enthralled his new fans by finding the back of the net six times since joining on loan from AFC Bournemoouth – Tuanzebe comes out on top, with Moore earning £5k less per week than the 26-year-old’s larger £20k pay packet of £15k.
Remarkably, when looking at the table above, many of the heroes who helped Ipswich win League One find themselves earning less than the ex-Manchester United star.
Davis will feel more unfairly punished than others named, given that his remarkable 17 assists in the division above this season have – at points – single-handedly delivered Ipswich victories, as did his key goal against Bristol City.
McKenna obviously wanted to see if he could get the most out of Tuanzebe because of his previous connections with the defender at Old Trafford, but based on his unmemorable performances in an Ipswich jersey and his high salary, the reunion between the two could be brief and ultimately over at the end of the season.
