Since the arrival of new manager Erik ten Hag, Manchester United fans have eagerly awaited news of his transfer targets. The majority of the players seriously linked to the club in this timeframe have had some relation to Ten Hag in his past, with the manager evidently keen to bring players he trusts to help him with the biggest project of his career thus far. However, Tyrell Malacia is a player simply associated with Ten Hag through nationality. That isn’t to say he hasn’t watched him closely in the Eredivise.
Always on Ten Hag’s radar during the time he spent at Ajax, it would be likely that Malacia would be donning the red and white of Ajax rather than Manchester United or current club Feyenoord next season had Ten Hag not taken his new job. Widely documented interest from the Dutch champions in Malacia during Ten Hag’s reign was no coincidence, considering he is the archetypical Ten Hag fullback. Highly proactive and equally capable of exploding forward as he is suppressing the oppositions right winger, Malacia’s raw capabilities are well suited for United’s new manager. The 22 year old isn’t quite the finished article, though, with work to be done on his reliability in possession. Additionally, this will be the first transfer in the career of a player who joined Feyenoord’s academy at the age of 9. That can often be a difficult process, but with several seasons of first team football and five appearances for the Netherlands under his belt, he will be hoping to resettle in Manchester quickly and continue his lung-busting runs down the left hand side as soon as possible.
Malacia’s arrival should spell the end for Alex Telles at Manchester United, with the Brazilian certainly a victim of a lack of defensive structure during his time at the club but vastly underwhelming nonetheless. Malacia will have long term hopes to dislodge Luke Shaw from United’s starting XI and will arrive in the knowledge that United, like many clubs, will have a busy schedule next season ahead of the winter World Cup. From September onwards, United will have a midweek fixture every week and so opportunities for game-time throughout the squad will be more plentiful than in a conventional season. Further, FIFA officials ruling that five substitutes will become a permanent fixture in the sport ensures that there will be a greater incentive to build larger squads. Signings such as Malacia will become increasingly common as big clubs can offer more minutes to younger players than ever before.
The story: How did Malacia end up set for United?
Tyrell Malacia was one of the first names linked to Manchester United following Erik ten Hag’s appointment, with reliable insider Jonathan Shrager tweeting about United’s interest in the player as early as the first week of May. However, it seemed as though the player was set for a move to France with Olympique Lyonnais seemingly in the driving seat. Lyon even went as far as agreeing a fee (€12+3m) with Feyenoord and the player seemed all but set to join the French outfit until Manchester United hijacked the move today, offering to pay Feyenoord a slightly higher fee of around €15m (+ €2m in add-ons), which was quickly accepted. The Reds sought off further competition with West Ham also linked to the left back. United were clearly determined to secure the signing of Frenkie de Jong as a priority before making any further moves for two reasons: as a statement of intent to build their new project around a world class player, and to understand how much of the budget the signing of the Barcelona midfielder would consume. After agreeing an initial €65m fee with the Catalans, United were seemingly mobilised in the market and move swiftly to intervene in Malacia’s transfer before it was too late. Evidently content with the fee that they had agreed, United felt it suitable to bid for Malacia - a player “extensively scouted by Ten Hag at Ajax” according to BBC’s Simon Stone, but in an area that is not a reported priority for a club in need of reinforcements offensively and in central defence.
What sort of full back is he?
Tyrell Malacia is a very proactive operator down the left flank and I was hugely impressed with both of his 90 minute displays for the Netherlands against Wales during the Nations League. He is determined to be heavily involved during matches both in and out of possession, which is exemplified by the fact that he was the only player in Europe’s top 7 leagues to average over 1.5 shots, 1.5 dribbles and 2.5 tackles last season (via WhoScored). He is equally eager to play the ball into the box, delivering 93 crosses in 31.5 90s for Feyenoord in the Eredivise last term. In the league, he chipped in with 4 assists but it’s worth noting that he created 8 big chances. By comparison, Alex Telles also registered 4 assists but created just 2 big chances in the Premier League last season. Whilst the statistics presented here are on quite a basic level, examining the underlying data should be of paramount importance to United moving forward if they wish to avoid past mistakes in the transfer market.
Malacia’s work in possession is an area of contention. Having consulted trustworthy Dutch sources, some question marks can arise around his quality and accuracy. He has several traits that are typical of a younger full back - sometimes making the wrong decisions and rushing the play. He is keen to shoot, taking 51 shots in the league last season which is especially high for a full back, a la Manchester City’s Joao Cancelo, but scored just one goal: underperforming his xG by 2.19. Having said that, a full back with a determination to shoot is a welcome addition to United’s team, with contemporary players in this position being associated with scoring goals, such as Reece James of Chelsea and Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold.
It is undeniable that despite some aspects of his game being raw, Malacia has lots of natural talent. He completed 85% of his passes in the Eredivise last season which was higher than Alex Telles’ 80% and Luke Shaw’s 84% in the Premier League. Whilst inter-league comparisons do require adjustment, Malacia’s pass completion in the Europa League and the Conference League were at 81% and 82% respectively. Additionally, he was much more involved in play than Shaw or Telles, averaging over 86 touches per match whereas United’s left backs had just over 68 each. Pro-activity and frequent touches are vital for Erik ten Hag’s set up and whilst this stat reflects the nature of Feyenoord’s possession based football in comparison to Manchester United’s more loose approach to matches; Malacia is proven to be comfortable having the ball at his feet frequently. It is of little surprise that Ten Hag was filmed saying “that kid at left back is amazing” whilst on the Ajax technical area in a match against Feyenoord, instantly instructing his analyst to “take note of him”. That note was certainly taken. Working with Ten Hag, but in Manchester rather than Amsterdam, is very much on the horizon for Malacia now.
Allow the 22 year old some time to develop at United. It is a big first move for the man from Rotterdam. All the same, it’s an example of Manchester United signing somebody before he reaches the peak of his powers, to join a coach who actively wanted him and has a track record of improving players. This is a system that has been symptomatic of success across the modern footballing world. A system which must continue to be pursed by United if they wish to return to the top. Ten Hag will be hoping that he can make that kid at left back amazing in Manchester.
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