Get to know the 22-year-old Dutch international fullback who heads to Old Trafford as the latest member of Erik ten Hag’s Man United squad.
Tyrell Malacia to Manchester United is a done deal. At 22 years of age, his name may not a household one to English football fans quite yet, but Red Devils Erik ten Hag fully believes in the Netherlands international after seeing his quality at left back first hand.
United agreed to pay a transfer fee of up to €17 million ($17.32 million) — a base fee of €15 million and a potential €2 million in add-ons — to Rotterdam club Feyenoord for the fullback’s services. Lyon had been considered the frontrunner to land the player in a deal that was reportedly nearing ink on paper, but United were able to bring it all home thanks to ten Hag’s particular influence.
The player has already completed medicals and agreed to personal terms, making him ten Hag’s first signing of the summer transfer window.
With that in mind, let’s learn more about Tyrell Malacia’s transfer to Old Trafford, as well as the aspects of his game that made ten Hag so keen to add him to the squad.
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Tyrell Malacia Contract & Transfer Details
Contract length: 4 years
Expected weekly wages: Not reported
Free agency: 2026
Base transfer fee: $15,283,000 (€15,000,000)
Maximum transfer fee: $17,321,000 (€17,000,000)
Estimated market value: $18,720,000 (via Transfermarkt)
How Malacia got onto Man United’s Radar
Malacia has been a known quantity to ten Hag since his time as manager at Dutch giants Ajax. Now, the duo will seek to prove themselves at the Theatre of Dreams in their respective first full seasons in the Premier League.
In the 2017-18 season at just 18 years of age, the fullback notably impressed ten Hag when Ajax took on Feyenoord in the top-flight Eredivisie. During the game, Tyrell showed every quality that a left-back should possess that translates to the Premier League. On full display was his relentlessness in seeking out ball on both ends, but beyond simply being a hard worker, ten Hag noted Tyrell’s acceleration, positional awareness, dribbling ability, and instincts for interceptions.
As the manager was caught in a viral video asking: “Who is that at left-back? He is amazing. Take note of him.”
Now, the Red Devils boss can count among his own ranks the young player who caused his jaw to drop in awe just four years ago.
How Tyrell Malacia Improves Manchester United
For a footballer, there’s no better initial feeling than knowing that a manager at a top club pines for your services, and Malacia will have his chance to plug right into Manchester United’s back four. As they continue to power their way through a tumultuous phase of their transfer window — signs increasingly point to Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure after a one-year reunion — Malacia amounts to an encouraging start.
He’s a pacey player who could could key United in their counter-attacks, an area in which they severely lacked quality last season. And while he’ll need to get up to speed about what it means to face Premier League physicality and defending every week, United are bullish about just how high Malacia’s ceiling might be.
Transfer Window Woes at Old Trafford?
United has already lost a dynamic star, midfielder Paul Pogba, in what is effectively a massive financial blow after the World Cup winner took his talents back to Juventus on a free transfer last month.
The team now faces the reality of losing Ronaldo, their primary goal scorer and creator last season. Ironically, CR7 stated his desires to leave the club due to a lack of ambition in reference to signing new players that would boost United’s chances of getting back to the UEFA Champions League, a competition that never feels quite right without the Portuguese legend’s participation.
To be clear, signing Malacia doesn’t immediately vault United back into the top-four discussion; rather, this is more of a developmental move here and now.
He possesses a phenom’s talent, but Malacia will have to earn his way to becoming a star if wants to evolve into, say, the next Patrice Evra. Nevertheless, he’ll have the opportunity to push incumbent left back Luke Shaw as the two compete for the bulk of the meaningful reps.
As Malacia said in his first interview with the team:
“Whilst I know that I am still young and will continue to develop, I can promise the United fans that I will leave everything on the pitch every time I pull on the red shirt.”
He’s young, he’s dynamic, and he’s explosive. As Manchester United and ten Hag continue to attack the transfer market through the summer, they’ll do well to look for more players with those same qualities.
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