Manchester United have reportedly turned their attention to Feyenoord star Tyrell Malacia, with Erik ten Hag a big admirer of the defender described as a ‘pitbull’ by Dutch fans.
Ten Hag reportedly failed in an attempt to lure the Dutch international to Ajax last summer and his interest in the left-back hasn’t waned.
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Malacia is quick, comfortable in possession and has become a cult hero at Feyenoord due to his aggression in the tackle.
The Mirror claims United sent scouts to watch Malacia in Feyenoord’s 3-2 win over Marseille in their Europa Conference League semi-final on Thursday and believe a £20m offer should be enough to lure the full-back to Old Trafford.
Ten Hag is in the process of assessing the current players at United and the report states that he has already identified the club’s need for new full-backs.
They’re on the lookout for a replacement for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who could return to Crystal Palace this summer, and it’s claimed Malacia will ‘challenge Luke Shaw for a place in the team’.
United are keen on Ajax rigt-back Noussair Mazraoui but the Moroccan internationl looks set to move to Bayern Munich over United, with the promise of competing for titles and in the Champions League a big factor in his decision.
Ten Hag is also thought to want Jurrien Timber and Antony to join him in swapping Ajax for United, but the report claims the Amsterdm club are ‘reluctant to do business with United after already losing their manager’.
Meanwhile, with the future of Cristiano Ronaldo at United up in the air, amid rumours of a return to Real Madrid, Gary Neville believes the Portuguese star has plenty to offer Ten Hag next season.
“He has been a bright light in a poor season. It will be really interesting with Erik ten Hag what happens at end of the season.
“He will want a goalscorer, he wants someone who can put the ball in the back of he net 20 to 25 times, and he’s got that man. Can United use Cristiano Ronaldo as a bridge to get them through Erik ten Hag’s first season? Cristiano Ronaldo is a phenomenon, he’s a global icon.”
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