Manchester United are desperate to shift the last remaining member of Ruben Amorim’s ‘bomb squad’ as time runs out to do so.
‘Bomb squad’
This summer, the United stars categorized within the ‘bomb squad’ group – players deemed to have no future at Old Trafford – included Antony, Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, and Tyrell Malacia.
The group was required to train apart from the first-team squad and was excluded from the club’s pre-season tour in the United States.
However, as the transfer window closed, only one member remained without a new destination – Malacia.
Antony made a return to Real Betis in a transaction valued at £21.6 million, while Garnacho finalized a £40 million transfer to Premier League competitor Chelsea. Rashford and Sancho secured season-long loans to Barcelona and Aston Villa, respectively.
Malacia was on the verge of finalizing his own loan to La Liga team Elche, but the agreement collapsed on deadline day, leaving the Dutch defender as the last remaining member of Amorim’s group of unwanted players.
An Escape to Turkey
Despite the closure of the English transfer window on September 1, various markets in global football remain open, notably in Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
Malacia has been associated with potential transfers to clubs in both nations throughout the summer, and United has continued to actively seek options for the 26-year-old defender’s departure.
Eyüpspor, a Turkish team currently positioned 10th in the Super Lig, has made the most significant advances with a proposal for a loan.
Reports from Turkey suggested that this deal had been accepted by the Red Devils; however, Fabrizio Romano was quick to clarify that no agreement had been finalized – and rightly so.
Alex Crook from talkSPORT indicates that Malacia is “not overly keen” on the transfer, characterizing the Dutch player as “determined to cling on” to his salary at Old Trafford.
The Turkish transfer window is set to close on September 12, leaving United with less than 36 hours to persuade Malacia to reconsider his decision.
Amorim has previously emphasized his willingness to welcome back any ‘bomb squad’ member who did not depart from United this summer.
However, if that player is actively rejecting first-team opportunities elsewhere to continue receiving his paycheck in Manchester, the Portuguese coach is likely to be much less inclined to uphold this stance.
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