The 25-year-old – who was released by Manchester United at the end of last season – has signed a one-year deal at Portman Road, with the Blues having the option to extend that by a further 12 months should they wish.

Tuanzebe is reunited with Kieran McKenna in Suffolk, the Blues boss having overseen the defender’s academy journey at United and subsequently been assistant manager at a time when he was breaking into the first time.

A former England youth international, Tuanzebe made his United debut at 19 and captained them in a Carabao Cup tie at 21. He went on to make 19 Premier League appearances for the Red Devils – 10 of them starts – and featured in 11 matches in the Champions League and Europa League, most notably keeping French star Kylian Mbappe quiet at Paris Saint-Germain back in October 2020.

A key member of Aston Villa’s promotion-winning Championship side in 2018/19, injuries have slowed his progress over recent years. A back problem limited him to just five starts during loan spells at Napoli and Stoke last season.

Newly-promoted Premier League duo Sheffield United and Luton Town were both credited with being interested in his signature earlier this summer, while La Liga side Real Betis were also recently linked.

Tuanzebe becomes Town’s seventh signing following promotion to the Championship and will provide competition to Luke Woolfenden, Cameron Burgess and George Edmundson in central defence. He will wear the number 40 shirt.

“It feels great to finally get the deal over the line,” he told TownTV.

“I had conversations with the manager earlier in the summer, having worked with him previously, and it’s great to have a familiar face. Knowing the calibre of coach he is, it was a good decision to come here because I know the standards he has and how thorough he is.

“The stadium, pitch and training ground are top notch and the group is humble, willing to work and everyone wants to take the club into a better position.

“I am delighted to be here and can’t wait to get started.”

McKenna added: “We’re really pleased to have Axel at the football club.

“He’s a defender with a lot of experience and pedigree at a young age and a lot of qualities as a player and as a person. He’s fast, strong in one-on-one situations, is a good communicator and carries the ball well. We think he will bring a lot to the team and to the club.

“He has trained well with the group over the last week and will continue to do so. We want to build him up in a sensible way and get him back to his best condition. If we do that we feel we could have a very valuable asset for the team.

“We have enjoyed working with him this week and he’s enjoyed being with us and being part of the environment, getting to know the culture and how we play.

“Now we’re looking forward to getting more work in on the training pitch and integrating him into the team.”