Manchester United are reportedly struggling to sell one of their peripheral stars.
Ruben Amorim’s dressing room is in need of an overhaul after a disastrous season which saw them finish 15th in the Premier League.
United have made no secret of their desire to spend big, landing Matheus Cunha from Wolves for £62.5million and bidding in excess of £60m for Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo.
But their pockets will have to be supplemented by sales after they missed out on Champions League football for the third time in for seasons.
One star on the chopping block is Tyrell Malacia, who only managed three games for them last season after returning from knee surgery.
He was sent out on loan in January to PSV, who he helped inspire to a remarkable Eredivisie title after they abolished Ajax’s 12-point lead.
Manchester United are reportedly struggling to find any suitors for Tyrell Malacia
Malacia only featured a handful of times last season before going out on loan to PSV
The Dutchman (left) won the Eredivisie title with PSV but United are still looking to offload him
Malacia joined United from Feyenoord for £14.6m in 2022, becoming Erik ten Hag’s first signing, but after an encouraging first season he has since only managed three league games due to his horrific injury trouble.
The 25-year-old was ruled out for 18 months after a meniscus tear, a botched surgery, and then another surgery, an ordeal which reset his rehabilitation process.
His layoff became somewhat a mystery due to the lack of updates from United, with one conspiracy suggesting he had died, and ran away with the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, whose whereabouts were unknown last year as she dealt with a cancer diagnosis away from the spotlight.
Now The Athletic reports that there is no firm interest in Malacia, with United keen to get him off their books.
Every penny matters to United and their ability to offload deadwood will shape the business they can do this window.
United are also looking to sell Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, and Antony.
The most likely scenario with Sancho is a return to the Bundesliga, where he shone in two spells with Borussia Dortmund, but United may struggle to secure the £25m fee they are after from a club in Germany.
Rashford, who impressed initially at Aston Villa last season, is a player they are eager to sell, but sources have suggested a loan deal with an option to buy is more likely. United would want £40m to seal a permanent deal.
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Ruben Amorim needs to shift his fringe stars to generate funds for making signings
Antony has thrived on loan at Real Betis but they do not have the money to sign him permanently and he is another that has been mooted for a loan deal with option to buy, unless United lower their asking price of around £30-35m.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are weighing up a move for Garnacho but there are concerns about his character.
Garnacho angered United fans after wearing an Aston Villa shirt on holiday with Rashford’s name on the back.
