Manchester United have several players up for sale and, with less than three weeks until the transfer window shuts, are keen to get deals done.
Head coach Ruben Amorim made it clear early in the pre-season that certain players were surplus to requirements, with the so-called ‘bomb squad’ even told that they can only train once the rest of the first-team players have gone home.
Marcus Rashford has already left for Barcelona on loan, and now another unwanted star has made it onto a Champions League side’s wishlist.
Forgotten ‘bomb squad’ member
Tyrell Malacia has been overshadowed by the bigger names in the ‘bomb squad’ and is largely a forgotten figure at United.
Alejandro Garnacho has agreed terms with Chelsea and is expected to move there before the end of the window, Antony is desperate to rejoin Real Betis and Jadon Sancho seems close to a move to AS Roma.
But Malacia, who spent last season on loan at PSV Eindhoven, has been short of offers after being frozen out of Amorim’s squad.
Fresh interest in Malacia
Last month the player was reportedly targeted by a Saudi Pro League side, but nothing seems to have come of their rumoured contact.
The only other interested reported this summer was from Scottish giants Celtic, and it was claimed at the same time that United would accept an offer of just £3m to get the 25-year-old off their books.
But according to Gazzetta dello Sport the Dutchman is on the radar of Italian club Atalanta, who are looking to bolster their squad ahead of a campaign including Champions League football.
The Italian outlet claims that Malacia is one of two Dutch left-backs in the Premier League to have caught the eye of Ivan Juric’s side, with Aston Villa’s Ian Maatsen their priority target for the position.
Galatasaray’s Ismail Jakobs is another name under consideration so this is by no means a certain move for Malacia, whose Old Trafford future is most definitely over.
Gazzetta dello Sport rightly point out that he is a player “in need of a revitalization”, and United would likely jump at the chance to ship the 25-year-old off to Atalanta.
But with Maatsen in pole position to make the switch, Malacia may have to sit tight and wait for another approach should the Serie A side get their man from Villa.
Featured image Justin Setterfield via Getty Images
Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
Joe Ponting
Joe has spent more than half his life writing about football and all of it following United. As a child he told a doctor his name was ‘Paul Scholes’, but could never pick a pass like him no matter how much he tried.
