Manchester United have been trying to offload Tyrell Malacia for more than a year now, but till now, all their attempts have failed.
Last January, they sent him out on loan to PSV Eindhoven, and despite winning the Eredivisie, the Dutch side refrained from signing the fullback permanently due to his poor individual performances.
INEOS were locked in talks with multiple clubs over the summer, and even saw a deadline day deal with Elche break down at the last minute.
The co-owners were not deterred, and even agreed a loan deal with Turkish side Eyüpspor, but the Netherlands international refused to leave.
Malacia’s refusal to leave
It is clear that the 26-year-old is hellbent on earning that last pay cheque from the Red Devils, before leaving as a free agent to maximise his chances of earning a substantial signing-on bonus from his new employees.
Ruben Amorim had promised that should a member of the bomb squad not depart, he would reintegrate him back into the first team fold.
The first evidence of this was seen when the left-back was named in United’s Premier League squad, and now, the head coach has revealed that he has returned to training, initially with the U21s.
Then he will see if Tyrell Malacia can be utilised in games this season. “Tyrell Malacia is returning to contact with team-mates and the ball in the U21s then we’ll see,” he said at the pre-match press conference.
Training with U21s
United already have Patrick Dorgu and Diego Leon as left wingbacks, while Luke Shaw, Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui can all play there.
That effectively means Malacia will not receive too much gametime, unless major injuries occur.
He might be forced to play for the U21s for the rest of the season, an apt decision considering his refusal to leave Old Trafford when he had the chance.
Still, a better decision as compared to Saturday’s opponents, who have effectively ostracized Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi.
Feature image Justin Setterfield via Getty Images
Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
Ayantan Chowdhury
Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25
