sport news Who is Tyrell Malacia as he closes in on £13m move from ... trends now

sport news Who is Tyrell Malacia as he closes in on £13m move from ... trends now
sport news Who is Tyrell Malacia as he closes in on £13m Manchester United move from ... trends now

sport news Who is Tyrell Malacia as he closes in on £13m Manchester United move from ... trends now

Feyenoord star Tyrell Malacia is set to become Erik ten Hag's first signing with the player set to complete a medical after Manchester United agreed a £12.9million deal for the player.  

The 22-year-old was on a list of targets Erik ten Hag submitted to the Red Devils after agreeing to join the club from Ajax. He felt the Dutch international would be a beneficial signing for United. 

Sportsmail have profiled the left-back, who is set to arrive at Old Trafford ahead of next season. We have outlined exactly who the Dutchman is, how he will fare in the Premier League, where he will play for United and so much more.   

Feyenoord star Tyrell Malacia is set to become Manchester United's first signing this summer

Feyenoord star Tyrell Malacia is set to become Manchester United's first signing this summer

Who is Tyrell Malacia?

Malacia is a product of the Feyenoord youth academy. He joined the system at the age of nine and honed his skills with the junior side of the club until 2015 when he signed his first professional contract. 

Malacia continued to represent the Feyenoord U19's before being called up to join the first team on their training camp in Spain alongside Mats Knoester and Dylan Vente. 

The youngster made his professional debut for the club in December 2017 - playing a full 90 minutes when Feyenoord beat Napoli 2–1 in their Champions League fixture. 

Malacia went on to make his Eredivisie debut on 13 December 2017 when Feyenoord played against SC Heerenveen. 

Malacia is a product of the Feyenoord youth academy and plays for the Dutch national team

Malacia is a product of the Feyenoord youth academy and plays for the Dutch national team

During that time, Malacia began to establish himself on the international scene. He earned caps at U16, U17, U18 and U19 level for Holland. He also represented his nation in the U17 European Championship.

However, on August 27, 2021, Malacia received his first call-up to the Dutch first-team for games against Norway, Montenegro and Turkey. He was handed his debut on September 4, 2021, in the match against Montenegro. 

Malacia has continued to excel domestically and internationally. He was even named in the UEFA Europa Conference League Team of the Season in 2022, after winning a runners-up medal during the tournament.

How well suited is he to the Premier League?

Malacia has the pace and acceleration to thrive in the Premier League. He also has the dynamism and athleticism to help Manchester United rediscover their attacking prowess. 

However, there may be some concerns about Malacia's height - given the fact he is only 5ft 6in, while the likes of Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane are 6ft 3in and 6ft 2in respectively.   

Malacia has the pace and acceleration to thrive in the Premier League next season

Malacia has the pace and acceleration to thrive in the Premier League next season

However, he is regarded as a small defender with the likes of Harry Maguire trumping him

However, he is regarded as a small defender with the likes of Harry Maguire trumping him 

Nevertheless, Malacia excels in his ability to tackle and intercept the ball well. He also is also fast, powerful and dangerous at both ends of the field.

That being said, Malacia could improve the quality of his crosses - considering he could be feeding more balls into the box than any other Manchester United defender as his stats trump Maguire, Varane and Luke Shaw in that particular area.  

Where would he fit in Erik ten Hag's system?

Malacia is a dynamic young defender that excels in the left-back position. However, he has the ability to play at centre-back when needed due to his versatility. 

There will be competition in the form of Shaw for a place in Ten Hag's starting XI, and making himself No 1 choice will be easier said than done as the England international established himself as United's first-choice left-back a long time ago. 

Malacia is a dynamic young defender that could play as a left-back in Erik ten Hag's system

Malacia is a dynamic young defender that could play as a left-back in Erik ten Hag's system

But, statistically, Malacia is the superior

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