Erik ten Hag's first signing as Manchester United manager is finally on the horizon.
Rewind as little as 48 hours and you'd have been forgiven for thinking that Barcelona playmaker Frenkie de Jong would be walking through the Old Trafford doors before anyone else, or even Ajax ace Antony. But it's someone less familiar with the back pages and headlines: Feyenoord starlet Tyrell Malacia.
The Red Devils are on the verge of completing a transfer for the 22-year-old left-back after hijacking Lyon's bid to sign him. The French giants already had an agreement in place with Feyenoord, but - as first revealed by Mirror Football just weeks into Ten Hag's reign - United were constantly monitoring his situation and swooped in at the eleventh hour.
So, who is Malacia? Why does Ten Hag like him so much? And what will the Dutchman to turn red bring to the Theatre of Dreams? Let's find out.
Where it all began
Born and raised in Rotterdam to a Curacaoan father and Surinamese mother, Feyenoord became Malacia's life in 2008 when he joined the club at the tender age of nine. An undeniable talent in his youth, he represented the Netherlands from Under-16 level all the way to Under-21.
Growing up in the Hillesluis district, South Rotterdam, Malacia stayed grounded and remains humble to this day, still hanging around with childhood friends and regularly visiting his grandmother - no-doubt information which Ten Hag already knows, renowned for keeping track of his players' personal lives.
"People I'm with say, 'I keep forgetting that you're a professional football player'," Malacia explained, as quoted by Ebonyst. "But I don't see myself as that professional footballer at all. I don't use it either, I'm too shy for that."
While football is Malacia's first passion, so is reading books. Opting not to watch much football or television at all such as reality shows, he stated: "I desperately need my relaxation. I shouldn't have that football in my head all the time. Then I completely lose it. Once when I was a youth player, I looked on the internet on a fan forum, I saw what was written about boys. Just negativity. Not for me."
Former Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, who Malacia plays alongside for the Netherlands, is also someone to look up to off the pitch, as he added: "I see a lot of myself in Georginio. As a person. Calm down, but he knows what he wants. I am very much on my own. A lot in my room."
Although Malacia made Curacao's preliminary squad ahead of the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup, playing for Holland was his dream and Louis van Gaal would make it a reality September 2021. The Oranjes beat Montenegro 4-0 in World Cup qualifying, and Malacia provided an assist in a starring 90-minute performance.
Four caps later - two of which came against Wales during a round of UEFA Nations League matches earlier this month - and he looks set to be part of Van Gaal's 26-man squad for the World Cup in Qatar. Having helped Malacia ease into a wing-back role for the Oranjes, his international boss puts plenty on responsibility on him, as Van Gaal says his wing-backs have the team's "steering wheel."
Style of play
If you needed a way to describe how he goes about his life on the pitch, Malacia's fan-given nickname of "the pitbull" is spot on. In contrast to his quiet demeanour at home, his tenacious approach offers both Feyenoord and the Netherlands a buzzing presence on the left flank.
While his ability on the ball is key to his impact, the fire in the 5ft 7in dynamo's belly is what drives him on, game in, game out. That's another attribute which has been with him from a young age; whether it be in the school playground or even the classroom. "If there was one thing I didn't agree with playing football on the street, I was fighting," Malacia admitted. "In school I stuck to my position, especially when I thought there was injustice. I was sent out."
When it came to youth football, though, he ensured not to jeopardise his chances of making it professionally. "I avoided confrontation," Malacia declared. "I knew if you fight in the locker room you will be sent away. I didn't want that at all. So I kept my mouth shut."
His temperament is a self-aware trait, too, noting when asked about not arguing with referees as much as his managers or teammates do: "That makes no sense as a player, especially without a captain's armband, you only [end up] against the referee."
Ex-Feyenoord boss Dick Advocat is the "wonderful man" who Malacia heavily credits for his development, with Arne Slot last overseeing his rise as a fully-fledged first-teamer. Since his full debut in December 2017 - a Champions League group-stage victory over Napoli - the United target has made a further 135 appearances and tallied 14 goals and assists.
50 of those outings came last term, as Feyenoord reached the Europa Conference League final, narrowly being beaten 1-0 by Jose Mourinho's Roma. The campaign-ending defeat came after finishing third in the Eredivisie, 12 points behind Ten Hag's Ajax and 10 adrift of runners-up PSV Eindhoven.
Mirror Football understands that Ten Hag has long been an admirer of Malacia, too, but their clubs' bitter rivalry prevented a transfer from ever being on the table. Red Devils legend Jaap Stam and current Rangers gaffer Giovanni van Bronckhorst also coached him at De Kuip.
Having guided him to a KNVB Cup winners' medal in 2018, the latter already told fans what to expect of him at Old Trafford. "I remember Tyrell from the youth teams," Van Bronckhorst recalled. "I had seen him play and I realised he did ever so well at that young age. He was able to be tight on players who needed that, but he could also defend zonal.
"That is hard for young players. I thought he was very complete at a young age. I remember saying to [Jean-Paul] Van Gastel [Feyenoord's old assistant]: 'There is our future left-back'. When [Ridgeciano] Haps was injured for the Napoli clash in the Champions League, I had no issue playing him. Sometimes, you can't be too fussed and just give the boy your confidence.
"Every winger will have a headache the night before playing against Malacia; he is quick, agile and a great work ethic. At times he can be over-exuberant. I had video images of him versus VVV Venlo at one stage and he was playing right-winger! He laughed when I confronted him, like. 'sorry trainer, I will do my best more.' It's his drive, his passion."
Career ambition
After 22 years in the Netherlands, it's now time for Malacia to kick on in his career playing in the Premier League - and he's more than mentally prepared. "I am definitely ready for the next step," he recently told RTV Rijnmond, just as transfer speculation began to ramp up, with West Ham also tagged as interested.
Join the debate! Will Malacia be a good signing for Man Utd? Have your say in the comments section.
"But first I want to focus on the Oranjes squad and play here. I feel like everything happens for a reason and everything is written. If this is the right time, now is the right time. I'm not really into it, but it's in the back of my mind. But I don't want to talk about it.
"[Van Gaal] praised me. You have to perform at your club, I'm doing that nicely. But I want to show in every international match that I'm supposed to play. He then tries to take my opinion out of me. At first I mainly looked the cat out of the tree, but now I share it too. Other than that, I'm still calm, I mainly let my feet do the talking."
Heading to a club where football hasn't been the thing to brag about for much of the past decade, supporters will be pleased to hear that Malacia's laser focus is on doing the business between the whites lines. Potentially the starting point for a revolution at Old Trafford, you best remember the name.
