Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe has joined Aston Villa on loan until the summer

Manchester United have completed their fifth deal of the January transfer window after allowing Axel Tuanzebe to join Aston Villa on loan for the remainder of the campaign.

Jose Mourinho had admitted recently that Tuanzebe could be allowed to leave on a temporary basis as he will not be afforded regular game time at United and the Championship outfit confirmed the defender's arrival on Thursday (25 January).

"Aston Villa are delighted to announce Axel Tuanzebe has joined from Manchester United on loan until the end of the season," a statement on the Villa's official site read.

"Tuanzebe becomes our first signing of the January transfer window and will now train with the squad ahead of our Sky Bet Championship encounter with Sheffield United next week."

The 20-year-old centre-back, who can also play at full back and midfield, is highly rated by the coaching staff at United and despite making a breakthrough into the first-team at the end of last season, he is yet to nail down a regular place in Mourinho's team.

Tuanzebe made three senior team appearances in the first-half of the campaign, but with Eric Bailly returning to full fitness next month and Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo and Chris Smalling ahead of him in the pecking order, a loan move was ideal for the defender to get regular first-team experience.

The Bunia-born England Under-21 international will join fellow Manchester United loanee Sam Johnstone at Villa Park and is likely to be in the squad when Aston Villa take on fellow promotion hopefuls Sheffield United on Tuesday (30 January).

Tuanzebe was delighted to have secured a move to Steve Bruce's side and is hoping he can play a major role in helping the club return to the Premier League next season. Villa are currently in fourth place on the Championship table, three-points behind an automatic promotion place.

"I'm delighted. The whole reason I'm here is to get minutes and I feel like the manager here is the one to give me that and help me progress," Tuanzebe told Villa's official site after completing his move on Tuesday.

"Promotion, of course. That's the priority," the defender added when asked about his goal with the club for the rest of the campaign. "Not play-offs, either. It's getting that second place and coming away with a promotion on my CV.

"It'd be a massive achievement."

Tuanzebe becomes the third player to leave United on loan during the ongoing winter transfer window following the temporary exits of James Wilson and Demetri Mitchell. The only permanent transfers have been the departure of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and the arrival of Alexis Sanchez as part of a swap deal from Arsenal.