Tyrell Malacia is the only remaining member of Manchester United’s ‘bomb squad’ after the transfer window closed for European clubs on Monday evening.
Indeed, the left-back could only watch on as Alejandro Garnacho, Antony, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho all packed their bags at various points of the summer to embark on new ventures elsewhere, whilst he waited for his opportunity to depart Old Trafford.
He certainly came close, too.
Tyrell Malacia dealt late transfer blow in collapsed loan move
For the final week of the window, Malacia was in talks with La Liga outfit Elche over a season-long loan.
He was said to be enticed by the opportunity after being given assurances over the prominent role he’d play throughout 2025/2026.
That was, however, until talks collapsed between United and Elche, with both sides failing to reach an agreement over a potential buy clause/obligation for Malacia when his prospective loan came to an end. Negotiations subsequently ended shortly before the 7pm deadline, leaving the player scratching his head over his next steps.
Malacia will be desperate to get going again in 25/26
To say it’s been a difficult couple of years for the Dutchman is an understatement.
He was signed by Erik ten Hag in 2022, becoming the manager’s first-ever acquisition at Old Trafford, and proceeded to play a rotational role with Luke Shaw in his maiden term.
Then, on the final day of the 2022/2023 Premier League campaign, Malacia suffered a serious knee injury that would go on to rule him out of the entirety of his sophomore season.
He was made to wait over 18 months before he could make his return to action, initially featuring for the U21S before being called upon by Ruben Amorim in November 2024.
The 26-year-old played eight times under Amorim before being sent on loan to PSV Eindhoven in January. He ended his spell with an Eredivisie winners’ medal to his name, but the club opted against signing him on a long-term deal.
Malacia’s personal trainer shared a video on his Instagram story this week in the aftermath of his failed Elche transfer, showing the player putting in work in the gym to keep his fitness levels up – even if he isn’t currently playing any first-team football.
The video was captioned: “A setback is an opportunity for a great comeback.”
