Man Utd inch closer to announcing Tyrell Malacia as Ten Hag's first signing
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 1 Jul 2022 13:48 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester United are close to announcing the signing of Feyenoord defender Tyrell Malacia as a deal nears completion.
Malacia, 22, has been identified as Erik ten Hag's preferred left-back option as the Dutch manager looks to bolster the squad at his disposal. It is unclear what the club's pursuit of Malacia will mean for the future of England left-back Luke Shaw.
Related articles
The Feyenoord man impressed in his club's run to the Europa Conference League final, and had all-but agreed a move to Lyon until Man Utd swooped at the last moment.
Lyon were in negotiation talks with Malacia and had agreed a fee of €13 million up front, plus €2 million of add-ons, with Feyenoord. The French side had hoped to quickly wrap up a deal due to knowledge of Man Utd's interest, but they were too late.
Malacia to Man Utd
The Old Trafford side trumped the offer Lyon had presented Feyenoord, bidding €15m, plus a further €2m in add-ons, which was accepted by the Eredivisie giants.
Malacia has now entered into personal negotiations with Man Utd as he attempts to agree a deal with the club. According to The Athletic's David Ornstein, complications with the transfer had been hit, with Malacia seeking a change in agent half-way through talks.
It was made even more complicated by the fact Malacia's agent was the same as Frenkie de Jong's, Man Utd's number one summer transfer target.
He has decide to operate with his father, and BBC Sport's Simon Stone has reported that issues over Malacia's representation have now been fixed and the transfer is expected to be completed in the coming days.
It's believed that Malacia will become Ten Hag's first signing as Man Utd head coach, as he prepares his squad ahead of the 2022/23 Premier League.
As well as Malacia, Ten Hag is also after former Ajax prodigy De Jong, Antony, Jurrien Timber and Lisandro Martinez. However, Ajax will only let a maximum of one the latter two leave the club this summer.
