Former Feyenoord full-back Tyrell Malacia became the first signing of the Erik ten Hag era at Manchester United. The Red Devils have signed the defender on a 4-year-deal, until 2026. United snatched the 22-year-old away from Olympique Lyon in the eleventh hour, with a bid of €15 million, which could rise up to €17 million.

The Manchester club are looking at a complete squad rebuild under new manager Erik ten Hag. The Red Devils have been linked to a host of players across several positions to revitalise their squad.

Career At Feyenoord:

Born in Rotterdam, Tyrell Malacia joined the Feyenoord academy as a 9-year-old in 2008. He signed his first professional contract with the club in December 2015. Interestingly, the Dutchman made his Champions League debut even before playing a single league game. The full-back featured all 90 minutes as Feyenoord beat Napoli 2-1 in the Champions League on December 6, 2017. A week later, he made his Eredivisie debut against SC Heerenveen.

Across 5 seasons, Malacia has accumulated 98 league appearances (stats via transfermarkt). The 22-year-old has 4 goals and 8 assists to his name in those 98 Eredivisie matches. He also has 18 appearances across the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League.

Forged at Feyenoord.
Made for Manchester.@T_Malacia is United ready! #MUFC || #WelkomTyrell

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 5, 2022

The young defender was part of the Eredivisie side that won the KNVB Cup in the 2017-18 season, although the youngster remained an unused substitute for the finals. He also featured in the Conference League final last season, where the Dutch side lost 1-0 to AS Roma. However, consolation was that the 22-year-old was one of the five Feyenrood players to feature in the competition’s Team of the Season.

National Team Involvement:

Tyrell Malacia made his debut for the Dutch national team in 2022. The youngster played all 90 minutes of the World Cup Qualifier game against Montenegro in April. He capped off an impressive performance by assisting Cody Gakpo’s goal in a 4-0 victory for his side.

Since then, the Dutch full-back has earned four more appearances for Louis Van Gaal’s side, either as a left-back or left wing-back. Malacia also assisted Wout Weghorst’s late winner against Wales in the UEFA Nations League in June.

Player Profile:

Tyrell Malacia is a very useful outlet on the left flank. The 22-year-old can play equally well either in a back-four or as a wing-back in a 3-man system. The youngster is blessed with great physicality and tremendous speed. These attributes play an important role in the fullback’s attacking and defensive game.

Malacia is a good dribbler and adept with the ball. He can be useful as a wide outlet, allowing the winger ahead of him to underlap. The Dutch international is also composed in possession and could be groomed to function in an inverted role that Ten Hag prefers. This flexibility will give United a lot of options in the way they set up.

Off the ball too, the Dutch left-back’s recovery speed is a great asset to halt the opposition wingers from creating problems down the wing. The 22-year-old is a strong tackler and proactive defender.

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Potential Role At Manchester United:

Tyrell Malacia has been signed for a position where Manchester United already have three players. Alex Telles, Luke Shaw and Brandon Williams are all contenders for the same left-back role. The Red Devils are likely to sell Telles and Williams before the end of the transfer window. Malacia was a second-half substitute in the 4-0 pre-season thumping of Liverpool in his first game for the club. Ten Hag started Luke Shaw for the game, while Telles was deployed as a centre-back.

Shaw has been the primary left-back at United in recent seasons. However, Malacia could be expected to provide some serious competition to the Englishman. For the €15 million price tag, the Dutchman appears to be an absolute bargain.

Should Tyrell Malacia be United’s starting left-back next season? Would you like to see him as a left-back or left wing-back? Let us know in the comments.

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The post Player Profile – Tyrell Malacia | Who is United’s €17 Million Signing and What Will be his Role at United? appeared first on Arsedevils.