New Man United signing Tyrell Malacia has revealed that three people held the key to his decision to move.
The Dutch full-back will soon become one of the first signings of the Erik ten Hag era. He arrived in Manchester on Monday to complete the second part of his medical. United announced the signing on their social media platforms that afternoon.
United will pay Dutch side Feyenoord £13 million upfront for Malacia. There is also the potential of a further £1.7 million in add-ons. Sky Sports report that the deal includes a sell-on fee for Feyenoord, should the player leave the Red Devils.
It has been a busy couple of days for the Old Trafford side. As well as finalising Tyrell Malacia, Man United should complete the signing of Christian Eriksen, too. Now, Premier League fans know Eriksen very well. But who is Tyrell Malacia?
United’s new full-back
Affectionately called “The Pitbull”, Malacia is a hard-working defensive left-back. He plays with boundless energy whilst also impressing in one-on-one situations. The defender averaged 2.7 tackles per game according to Whoscored.com, ranking him seventh in last season’s Eredivisie.
However, despite his defensive prowess, Malacia also proved useful in attack. The Dutchman registered four assists and one goal in 32 league appearances last year as Feyenoord finished third.
On a personal level, Malacia made the Europa Conference League team of the tournament. In this competition, his side reached the final, but unfortunately lost 1-0 to Roma.
Additionally, he made his Netherlands debut last season. Louis van Gaal initially selected the defender in his squad for World Cup qualifiers in September 2021. Since then, Malacia has made five appearances for his national side.
It turns out a Dutch connection is also what convinced the defender to switch Rotterdam for Manchester.
Tyrell Malacia credits three key figures for Man United move
Of course, new boss Erik ten Hag was a big factor in this transfer. The Dutchman watched Malacia in Holland and had been a fan of the defender for a while. Therefore, many were unsurprised that Ten Hag made a move for Malacia, given United’s need for defensive improvements.
However, Malacia himself mentioned two other figures that boosted confidence in his transfer. Speaking to De Telegraaf, he revealed that Robin van Persie and friend Tahith Chong convinced him to join Man United.
De Telegraaf reported that Malacia spoke about the club with his compatriots, who both have a past with the Red Devils. In fact, RVP’s stint at Man United was what put the club on Tyrell Malacia’s radar.
“I always followed Man United because Robin van Persie played there as a Feyenoord player,” explained Malacia, translation via Reddit. “That’s why I got an extra feeling with that.
“In the Feyenoord youth team, we played a tournament at Manchester United, and I said, ‘I will come back here one day’. That has now come true, and that is, of course, wonderful!”
Malacia will compete with Luke Shaw and Alex Telles for the starting left-back slot in Erik ten Hag’s team. Given Shaw and Telle’s injury history, Malacia may be called upon more often than he thinks.
Featured image credit: Getty