Burnley face fresh transfer hurdle after what happened in England v DR Congo | OneFootball

Axel Tuanzebe is officially a free agent, but the likelihood of him staying at Burnley after his performance against England could be rather slim

Axel Tuanzebe is now officially a free agent after his one-year deal with Burnley expired on June 30.

The 28-year-old has struggled with availability at Turf Moor in his sole campaign with the Clarets. He arrived last summer from Ipswich Town, following their top-flight relegation, but didn't make his debut until October.

He'd miss a month due to being at AFCON with DR Congo, and then would miss a further three months in the second half of the season with an Achilles injury.

Overall, he made just 14 Premier League appearances at Burnley, but he did start all of them. Ahead of a Championship return, heading into the prime years of his career too, Tuanzebe could still be a strong option in the second tier at Turf Moor.

Therefore, it wasn't a surprise when the Clarets revealed that they were still in talks with the former Manchester United academy product over fresh terms at the end of the season. With Tuanzebe jetting off to North America to represent DR Congo in the World Cup, perhaps talks would have been set for when he returned, allowing him to focus on the competition.

Axel Tuanzebe shone in the World Cup for DR Congo

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With Tuanzebe effectively playing for a contract this summer, we've seen some brilliant performances from the 28-year-old on the biggest stage against some of the top sides in the world.

DR Congo were expected to battle with Uzbekistan in Group K for the third-placed spot and an outside chance of heading through to the knockout rounds in what was their first World Cup finals since 1974, and their first under the DR Congo name.

However, they more than proved themselves in a group with Portugal and Colombia, drawing with the former in the first group game and losing only 1-0 against the latter, before breezing past Uzbekistan in the final game to actually finish as the best-ranked third-placed side in the tournament.

That earned them a Round of 32 matchup with England, giving the Congolese players a chance to truly make a name for themselves at the expense of one of the biggest nations in the competition, and Tuanzebe, especially, took that chance.

The 28-year-old played in the heart of a defence that kept Thomas Tuchel's side out for 75 minutes, and led for the majority of that time, too.

He made a brilliant last-ditch block to deny Harry Kane in the first half and, per FotMob, recorded nine defensive contributions, made six clearances, four with the head, and made three recoveries.

It was a more-than-impressive tournament for DR Congo, and those who have had an eye on them throughout the summer will definitely be seeing if some of their players end up with moves off the back of those performances, especially against England.

Axel Tuanzebe's World Cup could see a top-flight move on the cards — Burnley may lose out

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With Tuanzebe's focus now away from international duty, he'll be returning home likely with plenty of contract offers on the table, from Burnley and elsewhere.

The 28-year-old has always been capable of playing at the top level, but a mixture of being on the books at Manchester United for arguably too long and availability issues during some loan spells have made it difficult for him to nail down a starting spot throughout his career.

Burnley were seemingly keen on Tuanzebe being a key fixture of their side, starting every game he was available for this past season, but after a strong World Cup campaign, there may be more attractive offers on the table for the centre-back. Already, newly promoted Hull City have registered their interest and are in talks with him over a move.

Whether it's Hull, another Premier League side or a top-flight league abroad, they'd be able to offer a better deal to the 28-year-old ahead of next season than he's been handed at Burnley, even if the Clarets would likely promise him a regular role in the starting lineup.

Perhaps that could be what Tuanzebe wants, after a career spent mainly on the sidelines, but if he'd rather chance his luck at making it in the top flight once more after a couple of disappointing years at Burnley and Ipswich, then the Clarets may be set to miss out on him, as his World Cup performances could pique the interest of those top sides.