TYRELL MALACIA: CELTIC'S LATEST REJUVENATION PROJECT?
- BY LIAM CARRIGAN
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
I’ve talked before about Celtic’s proven track record when it comes to resurrecting the careers of obviously talented players who have become bogged down in the quagmire of mediocrity that is The English Premier League outside the top 5 or 6 teams.
It seems we may have another such project in the works, according to multiple sources today.
We seem to have this conversation as a support every year, but with the departure of Greg Taylor this has become even more urgent: We need another left back!
Tyrell Malacia: Celtic’s Type of Player, But Would He Come to Us?
A Dutch international, with 9 caps to date, Malacia is a product of Feyenoord’s youth academy and his talent is undeniable. However, after bursting onto the scene with Feyenoord’s first team, his move to Manchester United in 2022, he has struggled to make an impact there.
After only making a total of 25 appearances for the Old Trafford side over two and a half seasons, the 14.7 million pounds signing was loaned back to the Eredivisie, where he helped PSV secure last season’s title.
PSV had the option of making the move permanent for around 8 million pounds this summer, but have opted not to follow up on this.
In their current state, Manchester United are urgently trying to offload players like Malacia and a number of other perceived “big money flops”.
However, there’s definitely a player there, and word is that Man Utd are willing to entertain offers below the 8 million fee they provisionally agreed with PSV in January.
If Celtic, who were rumored to be interested in the player in January, could whittle that fee down to perhaps 5 or 6 million it would be a great bit of business. At 25, Malacia probably still has his best days ahead of him. At the end of the day, you don’t get to go to the World Cup with The Netherlands if you’re a dud.
Malacia was part of the 2022 World Cup squad, although given the way things have gone at Man Utd for him, he hasn’t played for his country since 2023.
This wouldn’t be a project signing, this is an established international who needs a move to kickstart his career again. From Chris Sutton to Joe Hart, Celtic have a long history of helping players who have lost their way in England get back to the top of their game.
And as those two and numerous others have shown, when the Celtic support get behind players like this, we are usually rewarded in kind.
File this one under “paper talk” at the moment, but it’s definitely one to watch. Celtic will need to bring in another left back, and there are few with Tyrell Malacia’s level of experience and ability available who fit both our price range and our profile in terms of resale value potential.
